Nauru, Notes from a Cretaceous World

This video, by Australian artist Nicholas Mangan, focuses on the Pacific island of Nauru – the world’s smallest country, just 21 square kilometres in area. Nauru’s story is one of environmental exploitation, financial speculation, and corruption.

In the early 1900s, Nauru was found to be rich in phosphate, a mineral used in the manufacture of agricultural fertiliser. The island was subsequently mined to meet the demand of farmers in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. Mining boosted the economies of these foreign countries but had a devastating, long-term impact on Nauru.
With its phosphate resources now almost exhausted, Nauru faces serious social, economic, and environmental challenges.