The Republic Of Nauru

[The_Other_Mac]

This started in a thread in the Thailand visas room, but I strayed off-topic a little... After a long and slightly silly post about Francophone embassies, I finished a post with this:

[P.S. My time wasn't entirely wasted. I discovered an entirely new country - Nauru. According to CIA world factbook, Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic. Population of 13,048 as of last month, and it still manages to have a consulate in Thailand. I wonder if that means it's 13,049 when the Consul goes home?]

CIA world factbook's entry for Nauru

Edited August 5, 2005 by The_Other_Mac

[The_Other_Mac]

To which wca01 (gotta love those imaginative usernames) replied:

Easy to explain why Nauru has a representative in Thailand. A Thai-Indian businessman from Bangkok has bought this tiny island not too long ago. I was even offered a passeport!. A lot of business advantages.

WC

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[The_Other_Mac]

Easy to explain why Nauru has a representative in Thailand. A Thai-Indian businessman from Bangkok has bought this tiny island not too long ago. I was even offered a passeport!. A lot of business advantages.

WC

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What a gratuitious display of wealth, and yet, what a fantastic idea!

"I own an 80-foot yatch."

"Oh yeah? Well I own an entire skyscraper."

"Oh yeah? Well I own my own country."

Not much comeback to that one, regardless of its actual value. Even if it is a lump of polluted rock, it comes with its own seat in the United Nations. Christ, technically this guy has as much voting power in the UN as the United States!

But hang on a minute... who did he buy it from? Did he pay 13,048 people for the value of their land? Is that all there is to owning a country? What happens if there's a coup, I suppose international law would have to concede that he's entitled to evict the entire population?

How come it's still called the "Republic of Nauru"? Unless.... he has already evicted everyone, and voted himself in...

[chuchok]

To which wca01 (gotta love those imaginative usernames) replied:

Easy to explain why Nauru has a representative in Thailand. A Thai-Indian businessman from Bangkok has bought this tiny island not too long ago. I was even offered a passeport!. A lot of business advantages.

WC

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Naru is worth a small Fortune...all the phosphate. They used to own a big chunk of Sydney CBD.Own hotels all around the world (EG Sheraton Auckland) Have there own shipping line and Airline.The Thai-Indian business man must be a multi billionair. Naru were suing the British government(And maybe Aussie and to a lesser extent NZ) for raping them of Phosphate etc...for huge money!

A mate of mine live there for a few months.

Edited August 5, 2005 by chuchok

[The_Other_Mac]

And yet if you believe the CIAs page (and I often find it inaccurate - in this case it somehow fails to mention that the entire country was bought), if you believe them, Naura is heavily dependent on Australian aid, and the phosphates are mostly depleted.

So what did your mate do there? Kick about, watch the seagulls, explore the countryside inch by inch....? Is it spoilt by over-tourism yet?

[mike_l]

I reckon this place has a good claim to being the world's oddest nation, if you could call it that - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealand

Is it really true about Naura being bought ? Hard to find any reference to it on the web, sounds a bit dubious to me.

[Old Croc]

To which wca01 (gotta love those imaginative usernames) replied:

Easy to explain why Nauru has a representative in Thailand. A Thai-Indian businessman from Bangkok has bought this tiny island not too long ago. I was even offered a passeport!. A lot of business advantages.

WC

Naru is worth a small Fortune...all the phosphate. They used to own a big chunk of Sydney CBD.Own hotels all around the world (EG Sheraton Auckland) Have there own shipping line and Airline.The Thai-Indian business man must be a multi billionair. Naru were suing the British government(And maybe Aussie and to a lesser extent NZ) for raping them of Phosphate etc...for huge money!

A mate of mine live there for a few months.

Nauru used to be the worlds richest country on income per capita. However, they mined most of the phosphate (bird guano) that had been building up for thousands of years and have run out of the resource. The huge mining scar in the centre of the island (and the consequent denuding of vegetation) has changed the climate. It now has a lack of rainfall and a serious water problem. The country is desperate for a new source of income. Since 2001 it has made itself available as a detention centre for several boatloads of asylum seekers attempting entry to Australia This has provided an income of approx $A20 million, but has now also come to an end.

All in all not a great buy for the new owner.

[The_Other_Mac]

I reckon this place has a good claim to being the world's oddest nation, if you could call it that - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealand

Is it really true about Naura being bought ? Hard to find any reference to it on the web, sounds a bit dubious to me.

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Yeah, I've heard of Sealand, great story, and there are some other odd entities out there too. But no one really officially recognises Sealand as a country... whereas Nauru is (or was) a republic, with a breeding population (the widely recognised Vatican doesn't have that...) and a seat on the U.N.

I must admit, it occured to me that perhaps it had been "bought" in the same way as certain beer bars are bought by uncautious newcomers to Thailand... Especially if a Thai-Indian businessman is going around selling the passports in Bangkok

[chuchok]

And yet if you believe the CIAs page (and I often find it inaccurate - in this case it somehow fails to mention that the entire country was bought), if you believe them, Naura is heavily dependent on Australian aid, and the phosphates are mostly depleted.

So what did your mate do there? Kick about, watch the seagulls, explore the countryside inch by inch....? Is it spoilt by over-tourism yet?

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Over saw a building project...about 5-7 years ago. Unless they sold thier assets and the court cases failed, then it could be true.They were the richest per capita Pacific Island nation.I also had another mate who used to moonlight as an officer on thier shipping line.He was always paid in cash..Aussie dollars.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Nauru is broke now. The mortgagee took back Nauru House in Melbourne. The sale to some Indian is a myth ( or a mischief )

[Pink Mist]

Nauru is broke now. The mortgagee took back Nauru House in Melbourne. The sale to some Indian is a myth ( or a mischief )

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the asylum seekers are becomming an embarrasment again to little jonnie and slobstone

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Nauru is broke now. The mortgagee took back Nauru House in Melbourne. The sale to some Indian is a myth ( or a mischief )

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the asylum seekers are becomming an embarrasment again to little jonnie and slobstone

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Times are 'ard