The Island regions of Nauru was annexed by Germany in 1888, and a German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. After WWII, Nauru became a UN trust territory and achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic. Today, Nauru is a parliamentary republic with a mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and customary law.
Nauru is divided into 14 districts administratively.
The economy of Nauru is traditionally driven by exports of phosphates with few other resources. Most necessities are imported, mainly from Australia. Primary reserves of phosphate were exhausted and mining ceased in 2006, but mining of a deeper layer of "secondary phosphate" in the interior of the island began the following year. Although revenue sources for government are limited, the opening of the Australian Regional Processing Center for Asylum seekers since 2012 has sparked economic growth.
Source: CIA World Factbook - Nauru
