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Characterized with many variations the Nauru history tells the story of the changing face of this small island in Pacific Ocean down the ages. The history of Nauru dates back to the times when the Europeans in Nauru and from that day till the present times Nauru history has meandered through various twists and turns.
Nauru had escaped the control of Europeans for a longer time than its Pacific neighbors due to its isolated location. But in 1798 a British navigator became the first person from Europe to visit Nauru. His footsteps were followed by other Europeans who named the island "Pleasant Island". The Europeans who came to Nauru were mostly whalers and then traders. Nauru's history took a sharp turn when almost 100 years later in 1888 the island got colonized by the Germans. The Berlin Anglo-German Convention was to shape the fate of Nauru in the later years.
Nauru was largely exploited by the Germans especially after the discovery of large amounts of phosphates in the island in 1900 by a British company. There was a significant mark in the history of Nauru. Mining of phosphate began in 1907 and this activity still continues almost uninterrupted. During the First World War Nauru was taken over from German hands by Australia and it came under the domination of Britain.
On becoming a "C" class mandate under the League of Nations Nauru was jointly administered by Australia, New Zealand, Britain and U.K. Nauru had started voicing its opinions on various issues during the 1950s. The United Nations Trusteeship was annulled in 1968 which made Nauru an independent nation with its own government. In 1999 Nauru became a full member of the Commonwealth.
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