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The Strange case of Nauru
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Coral Pinnacles on Topside. The smoke in the distance comes from the Phosphate Plant, processing Phosphate...The area known as "Topside" is the central plateau where all the Phosphate strip mining takes place. It is exploited by a government-owned company known as the Republic of Nauru Phosphate, or RONPhos. Although the initial layer of phosphate has been mined out (approximately 100 million tons), a secondary level of phosphate is now being mined, holding nearly 20 million tons of minable ressources. RONPhos developed plans starting in 2005 for their economical extraction. They are also cutting and crushing into pebbles the coral pinnacles that are dug out, following the phosphate mining. The pebbles are then sold to other Pacific islands as construction material. The cutting of pinnacles allows Nauru to recuperate flat ground on TopSide, part of the rehabilitation effort...Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru is an island nation in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Nauru was declared independent in 1968 and it is the world's smallest independent republic, covering just 21 square kilometers..Nauru is a phosphate rock island and its economy depends almost entirely on the phosphate deposits that originate from the droppings of sea birds. Following its exploitation it briefly boasted the highest per-capita income enjoyed by any sovereign state in the world during the late 1960s and early 1970s..In the 1990s, when the phosphate reserves were partly exhausted the government resorted to unusual measures. Nauru briefly became a tax haven and illegal money laundering centre. From 2001 to 2008, it accepted aid from the Australian government in exchange for housing a Nauru detention centre, with refugees from various countries including Afghanistan and Iraq..Most necessities are imported on the island..Nauru has parliamentary system of government. It had 17 changes of administration between 1989 and 2003. In December 2007, former weight lifting medallist Marcus Stephen

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Coral Pinnacles on Topside. The smoke in the distance comes from the Phosphate Plant, processing Phosphate...The area known as "Topside" is the central plateau where all the Phosphate strip mining takes place. It is exploited by a government-owned company known as the Republic of Nauru Phosphate, or RONPhos. Although the initial layer of phosphate has been mined out (approximately 100 million tons), a secondary level of phosphate is now being mined, holding nearly 20 million tons of minable ressources. RONPhos developed plans starting in 2005 for their economical extraction. They are also cutting and crushing into pebbles the coral pinnacles that are dug out, following the phosphate mining. The pebbles are then sold to other Pacific islands as construction material. The cutting of pinnacles allows Nauru to recuperate flat ground on TopSide, part of the rehabilitation effort...Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru is an island nation in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Nauru was declared independent in 1968 and it is the world's smallest independent republic, covering just 21 square kilometers..Nauru is a phosphate rock island and its economy depends almost entirely on the phosphate deposits that originate from the droppings of sea birds. Following its exploitation it briefly boasted the highest per-capita income enjoyed by any sovereign state in the world during the late 1960s and early 1970s..In the 1990s, when the phosphate reserves were partly exhausted the government resorted to unusual measures. Nauru briefly became a tax haven and illegal money laundering centre. From 2001 to 2008, it accepted aid from the Australian government in exchange for housing a Nauru detention centre, with refugees from various countries including Afghanistan and Iraq..Most necessities are imported on the island..Nauru has parliamentary system of government. It had 17 changes of administration between 1989 and 2003. In December 2007, former weight lifting medallist Marcus Stephen