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Minus-Celsius t1_j86hc71 wrote

Reply to comment by Stalinbaum in TIL the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been so damaged by phosphate mining that in 1964 Australia offered to repopulate the entire nation to Curtis Island near the Australian Coast. Nauru refused the offer in order to maintain their sovereignty and not become part of Australia. by triviafrenzy

The author wrote it that way deliberately for American audiences.

Nauru's economy collapsed because it relied solely on mining phosphate, and then it ran out of phosphate.

The reactionary policies were a result of the economic crisis. Arguably they exacerbated it, but the author is describing events taking place in 2015 as though they caused the crisis. Phosphate mining had ceased by 2005 and Nauru has no other exports or industries and an uneducated workforce that isn't competitive internationally.

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