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Phosphate mining, Nauru, 1919. Since the early 1900s, Nauru has been mined for phosphorus by many countries, resulting in devastating destruction of the land. As much as 80% of the island is unusable due to phosphorus mining, which has left exposed coral pinnacles that leave the land useless and uninhabitable. [8]
The government puts profits from the mining into a trust for the islanders. This trust reached a peak of A$1 billion, returning approximately 14% annually. Poor investments and corruption have left the trust fund nearly empty and therefore Nauru with little money. In the year 1948, revenues from phosphate mining were A$745,000.
The reliance on phosphate mining as the main source of income has made Nauru extremely vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices, leading to economic instability and uncertainty. [163] The depletion of the phosphate deposits has also left the country with limited options for sustainable economic development, as the once fertile land ...
The British Phosphate Commissioners (BPC) was a board of Australian, British, and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru, and Banaba (Ocean Island) from 1920 until 1981. [1] Nauru was a mandate territory governed on behalf of Nauru by Australia, Britain and New Zealand.
In the early years of the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Development Trust, it financed the construction of two of five high-rise luxury condos in Hawaii (on the island of Oahu). The five towers (two completed as of October 2005) are on prime Honolulu real estate with ocean views and represent a benchmark in Honolulu luxury high-rises.
The Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation is a state-owned enterprise established by the Republic of Nauru in May 1999, following the passing of the Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation Act in July 1997. Its primary mission is to rehabilitate land destroyed by the phosphate industry , both before and after its independence, making them once again ...
In northern Peru, the World Bank's business-lending arm is part owner of the Yanacocha gold mine, accused by impoverished farming communities of despoiling their land in pursuit of the precious ore. The bank and IFC have stepped up investments in projects deemed to have a high risk of serious and environment damage, including oil pipelines, mines and even coal-fired power plants, an ...
In 1970, the newly independent government of Nauru purchased the mining rights to the island's lucrative phosphate mines from their previous colonial ruler, Australia, for A$21 million. The mines brought considerable wealth to the tiny island of Nauru, with the industry bringing in around A$100–120 million annually.