[nah-oo-roo] 
| Republic of, an island republic in the Pacific, near the equator, W of the Gilbert Islands: administered by Australia before 1968. 8007; 8 1/4 sq. mi. (21 sq. km). |
Na·u·ru (nä-ōō'rōō)  (click for larger image in new window) An island country of the central Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of Kiribati. Inhabited by a population of mainly Polynesian ancestry, Nauru was explored by the British in 1798 and became a German protectorate in 1888. Nauru was administered by Australia from 1914 until it became independent in 1968. The capital is Yaren. Population: 13,500. Na·u'ru·an adj. & n. |
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