Nauru is the smallest sovereign country in Oceania by total area, excluding associated territories. This raised coral island covers about 21 square kilometres in the central Pacific Ocean.
Nauru has no official capital city. Government offices are concentrated in the Yaren District, which is commonly described as the country’s de facto administrative centre. The island is circular in shape, with a fertile coastal strip surrounding a phosphate-rich interior plateau.
Tuvalu is a common alternative answer because it is also one of the world’s smallest Pacific states. However, Tuvalu has a larger total area. Kiribati and Palau are likewise small island countries but cover substantially more territory.
Nauru’s modern history was strongly shaped by phosphate mining. Large-scale extraction brought considerable revenue after independence, but depleted deposits and environmental damage created long-term economic and ecological challenges. Nauru became independent on 31 January 1968.