The Republic of Nauru (pronounced in Eng. /næˈuː.ɹuː/), formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island republic in the South Pacific Ocean. It is the smallest non-European country (in terms of land area), and it is the only nation in the world with no official capital. The population is 12,329 (2001 est).
Much of its past prosperity derived from the phosphate deposits on the island, but with the exhaustion of these supplies, Nauru faces an uncertain future. Nauru currently houses a detention centre, which holds and processes asylum seekers as part of Australia's Pacific Solution.