Nauru

Located near the equator northeast of Australia, the 21-square-kilometer, low-lying island of Nauru is the smallest and one of the most isolated republics in the world. During the 130-year-long phosphate bonanza, Nauru had the world’s second-highest per capita GDP, but it now suffers from the near-depletion of the phosphate mines beginning in the 1980s. Culture is also in a precarious state, with the Nauran language in decline and weavers lacking the required raw materials.

The National Tourism Office operates the Arts and Crafts Center, which displays and sells handmade objects, but tourism is limited due to underdeveloped infrastructure and a difficult visa process. Nauru’s other major art institution, the National Museum, contains a permanent exhibition of crafts alongside salvaged items from World War II.

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