3. Nauru, 21 square kilometers
Nauru is the smallest island country in the world with an area of 21 square kilometers. Nauru is also the second most populous country in the world with only 9,378 people. This is a large island with phosphate rocks. The extraction of this valuable resource became the main source of income for the country between 1960 and 1970.
But excessive mining leads to the depletion of a large resource. This island nation is surrounded by coral reefs and is known for its white sand beaches. But tourism in Nauru is limited. Phosphate mining, coconut products and offshore banking are the main industries in Nauru.
Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island nation in Micronesia in the central Pacific Ocean. Its closest neighbor is Banaba Island in Kiribati, 300 kilometers to the east. In addition, it is located northwest of Tuvalu, north of the Solomon Islands, east-northeast of Papua New Guinea, southeast of the Federated States of Micronesia, and south of the Marshall Islands. Nauru has 10,084 inhabitants on an area of 21 sq. Km. It is the smallest state in the South Pacific and the third largest state in the world, behind only the Vatican and Monaco.
Inhabited by local peoples from Micronesia and Polynesia, Nauru was annexed and proclaimed by Germany in the late 19th century as a colony. After World War I, Nauru became a League of Nations mandate administered by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. During World War II, Nauru was occupied by Japanese troops, who were outflanked by the Allied advance across the Pacific. After the end of the war, the country entered the guardianship of the UN. Nauru gained independence in 1968.