Search the SPREP Catalogue

The Republic of Nauru is a single raised limestone island or makatea with a total area of only 22 km2 (Figure 1), but with jurisdiction over 320,000 km2 of ocean surrounding the island under the United Nations Law of the Sea convention. The island consists mainly of a flat plateau that descends to a narrow coastal fringe where most of the population dwell. The plateau interior contains extensive deposits of phosphate bearing rock which have been mined since the beginning of the twentieth century. There are no rivers or streams on the island but there is a small lake in Buada district at the south west corner of the plateau, known as Buada Lagoon.