Today I learned that, despite having a mainland measuring just 20 square kilometers, 80% of the island nation of Naoero is uninhabitable due to mining

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/pacific-nation-nauru-to-change-name-in-break-from-colonial-past/

176 points · 13 comments · view on lemmy.world

13 Comments

RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 60 pts · 83d (3 replies)

They also lost most of their sovereign wealth fund investing in Leonardo the Musical.

Stamau123@lemmy.world · 51 pts · 83d (2 replies)

oh god it's real

The project, a highly fictionalized account of Leonardo da Vinci's creation of the Mona Lisa, was developed by Duke Minks, an advisor to the Republic of Nauru and former road manager for the 1960s pop group, Unit 4 + 2, along with the group's lead singer, Tommy Moeller. At Moeller's suggestion, Minks convinced government officials to invest £2 million in the production, in an attempt to diversify the country's wealth from its historic major export, marine deposits rich in phosphates.

also

The Political Butterfly Effect told the story of the musical's production and discussed its links with Nauru's decision to act as an off-shore asylum seeker processing centre for Australia.

a play so bad you become a prison's prison

CannonFodder@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 83d (1 reply)

What a story! Sounds like it would make a good musical.

RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 9 pts · 83d

Sounds like a sound investment

Echinoderm@aussie.zone · 20 pts · 83d (1 reply)

The more I hear about Nauru, the more it feels like a made-up place. Most of the wealth of the nation came from mining bird poo for phosphates.

NoPanko@feddit.uk · 15 pts · 83d

And now they make money running a detention centre for illegal immigrants to Australia where the conditions are apparently awful

Anchorxiety@reddthat.com · 16 pts · 83d (2 replies)

This tickles my inner geography enthusiast. Straight onto Maps to see what the deal is.

LemmyFeed@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 13 pts · 83d (1 reply)

Your comment made me want to look! I see they have their very own correctional facility as well as an Australian immigration detention center. Looks like most of the population lives on the edges of the island. Also some blurred areas that don't show much detail in specific areas.

Anchorxiety@reddthat.com · 13 pts · 83d

Lots of interesting stuff for such a small island. I spotted a ruined WW2 Japanese bunker and coastal gun! I also just learned that the island was attacked by the Germans in 1940, which is crazy to me. I didn't know the German navy was operating that far out in the Pacific ocean.

TheIvoryTower@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 83d (3 replies)

What is this Naoero spelling?

cdzero@lemmy.ml · 22 pts · 83d

The article explains it. Its the native name that they're looking to change to.

corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca · 16 pts · 83d (1 reply)

Naoero

So they recorded an Aussie saying 'no'?

postnataldrip@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 83d

Yeah, nah