Nauru, located in the middle of the
vast waters of the Pacific Ocean and appearing just as a tiny dot on the map, it’s the smallest independent republic. Hardly 200 people make their way to this country each year. I began this journey by arriving at Istanbul Airport 3 hours early. I first flew to San Francisco in 13 and a half hours. After a 7-hour layover, I took another long
13-hour flight to Nadi in the Fiji Islands and then waited again for a 7-hour layover. With nearly 75% of its seats unoccupied, the flight to Nauru from Nadi took 4 and a half hours, and my 48-hour endless journey finally came to an end. This is the least visited country in the world, even the closest countries are thousands of
kilometers away from here. Once I set foot on the island, I have to wait for the next flight to leave
which is scheduled almost a week later. Sea travel is not an option either. Nauru is surrounded by massive coral reefs, preventing large ships from approaching the shore. Until recently, the locals on this isolated island had so much wealth that they didn't even know what to do with it. Once rich in phosphate deposits in 1975, Nauru became the country with the highest
GDP per capita in the World. Today, however, in these destroyed lands
where no vegetables and fruits can grow, processed and fatty foods have become the norm. Topping global charts, Nauru is recognized by the World Obesity Federation
as the world's most obese country, with around 60% of its citizens are obese. The World Health Organisation also reports that, Nauru has the highest cigarette consumption rate in the world. The government's effort to keep foreign media
away from the country is quite obvious. After going through a month-long procedure
in which I presented countless documents, I could hardly get a tourist visa. While the regular application fee is 50 AUD, an astronomical amount of 8,000 AUD is
demanded from journalists, and media representatives as a deterrent. The police immediately took my drone I was
carrying as I entered the country. You might have noticed something odd
in the island’s aerial perspective. They discourage capturing Nauru from the sky. Filming here won’t be easy because of a dirty truth that Nauru has been trying to hide which
you’ll come to learn in the following scenes. I'm in the Yaren region right now. Since the runway area and the driveway area
are right next to each other, it's usual for the cars to give way to airplanes here. Pedestrians are warned against jet blast
occuring during landing and take-off. This is because the country is so small that, the strip-shaped airport stretches across the
entire southwest coast of the island. What you see here is the airport, if I want to get inside I could just jump
over this fence and I could do it. The total area of the island is only 21
square kilometers or 8 square miles. It takes a maximum of 20 minutes to
drive the whole country by car, and every journey returns to its starting point
as there is only one ring road. The police are on patrol all the time. As I don’t want to draw attention, I reached out to
the only tourism agency in the country, and I’ll begin to explore the island with a guide. According to the agency, only one or two tourists
come to the island in a month. So, the real numbers are way lower than
those stated on the internet. What do you do in your free time on the island? Volleyball. So what do you do in your free time on the island? Anything we want to do. Like what? Fishing, sleeping, eating. 1 , 2 , 3 1 , 2 , 3 Get outta here boy. Although it is not often visited by people, Nauru has been a favorite stop for migratory birds for centuries. While the island was thought to have limited resources, its soil contained a treasure called “guano” made of bird droppings and marine microorganisms. In 1899, German geologist Albert Ellis discovered that this plateau had high quality phosphate reserves. Once as valuable as gold, phosphate is a raw material boosting productivity in agriculture, and during the First World War, Australia quickly annexed and turned Nauru into an overseas mining field. Except for Japan’s brief occupation in 1942, the extracted phosphate was sold to the
world for years at extremely low prices. Some old people say that this cell here, Japanese used to pile people in and then closed that up, put some gasoline from the roof top and then burned them in there. Those who don’t wanna work for them. This railroad, which time is about to erase, was constructed in 1907 to transport
phosphate mines from the land’s interior to the harbour on the western coast. By the time Nauru gained independence in 1968, 35 million metric tons of phosphate had left from its shores. It’s hard to believe, but in the past century, the fruits and vegetables that found their way onto the tables of many people around the world were grown with the phosphate extracted
from the soil of this tiny island. After gaining independence, Nauru obtained significant wealth, and many Nauruans whose land would be used for
phosphate mining quitted their job and began counting down the days to become millionaires. Thousands of workers from China and other
Pacific Islands were brought to work in the dirty, hot, and tough conditions of the phosphate mines. Nauru had a per capita income of
around $176,000 by the year 1975, whereas in the world's leading economy, the United States had around $44,000,
taking into account today's inflation rate. Nauru managed to establish a welfare state,
where there were no taxes. Education, transportation, healthcare services and
even housing were all provided free of charge. I’ve seen my grandma come out of the bank with the pillowcase, they put all their money inside and just
walked out with the money They’ve spent it all up. I heard that there was a police officer
who bought a Lamborghini but he realized that he did not fit into the car and dumped it. Is it true? Yes, that’s true. Even some of the cars are bought for just decoration. As Nauruans suddenly became wealthy, a frenzy of consumption overtook them and this small island was filled with the latest car models. Along the roadside, we came across a collection of
abandoned luxury cars from the past. Cadillacs, Jeeps, Land Rovers. These are just a few of the vehicles that, the island residents once used for
speed and amusement on this road. It’s almost like a car graveyard here. The layer of rust on them indicates
how distant the days of glory are. Ever since I got here, the natives have been warning me to watch out for the packs of stray pitbulls roaming around the road. Once a popular breed, some islanders eagerly adopted these dogs
and then left them on the streets. Along with the dogs, more animals that were not originally present in Nauru were also brought in over time. Cats, chickens and pigs are animals that the islanders have become familiar with relatively recently. When miners uprooted the trees and excavated the fertile soil, all living organisms were harmed. It’s neither suitable for agriculture nor construction. And Nauruans are suffering dire consequences of this problem. Nauru's terrain is covered with pits, some as deep as 15 meters or 49 ft and limestone peaks, extending from the center of the island to the coastal areas. No agricultural products can thrive in this barren land
with its high level of acidity. Nauruans depend on highly processed
canned food from overseas, mostly imported from Australia, to sustain themselves. The average life expectancy of the people of Nauru is 64 years. A poor-quality diet has made Nauru hold
the title of the world's most obese nation for years. This island which was not yet discovered
by the Western World 150 years ago, was self-sufficient but now they outsource everything. Here, 97% of men and 94% of women are overweight or obese. The obesity issue in Nauru is like an epidemic, it’s everywhere. On the streets, in restaurants, at markets, I see people struggling with extra weight. Within a population where 45% suffer from diabetes, amputations are common. There are awareness-raising banners all around the country. The store shelves are empty as you can see. Products are imported here every six weeks. It’s a luxury to have fresh fruits and vegetables on the island. A head of cauliflower is priced at 18 AUD, and a watermelon costs 61 AUD. Many residents enjoy consuming meat products that, Western countries refuse to sell to their own people and instead market them as "turkey tails" to Naurans. This part of the animal, which is 75% pure fat,
is far from being nutritious. Lack of living space is another drawback of phosphate mining. The destruction has left 80% of Nauru uninhabitable, squeezing its estimated 14,000 residents, into a coastal area of just 4 square kilometers
or 1 and a half square miles. This is Buada Lagoon, the only untouched area on the island
that contains the original flora, it opens a door to the past. Nauru was once filled with this plant cover, but now it’s all vanished. Here it is still possible to see banana trees,
pandanus trees and pineapple plants. Rising like sculptures, the coral rock formations on Nauru's coastline
reach up to 5 meters or 16 ft above the sea. The ocean floor is covered by dead coral rocks that, extend about 200 meters from the shore,
making it impossible for large ships to dock, many of these are underwater and become visible
only when the sea recedes. This makes it possible for the people to
walk up to hundreds of meters in water, and hunt fish. With the destruction of trees, average temperatures have increased to around 30 degrees Celsius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit all year around. On the island, influenced by the monsoon winds seasonally, rain and time flow as one. However, Nauru lacks any rivers or streams. Islanders have limited access to fresh water. The country produces 2 million liters of drinking water daily by treating ocean water using reverse osmosis
at these desalination plants. There's an underground lake named Moqua Well, finding the entrance to this cave
without the help of a local is challenging as its entrance is quite narrow. During times of war, the people of Nauru used this place both as a shelter
and to access drinking water. It’s filled with cans and pieces of glass. This underground lake is no longer a
reliable supply of drinking water. What was religion before Christianity? We believed the Burra! It’s God here. There is the altar on Topside, if they give it food, it will come into life and then it’ll bring them what they are asking for. Is there anyone who still believes in Burra? Some. They believed that this water here and they witnessed that, if you come and take a dip, it will heal your skin
or maybe some other diseases. There is no official capital city in the country. However Yaren district contains all of the
institutions such as the Parliament House, embassies, the country's only police station,
fire department, and the airport. There are only 11 schools here, including 3 high schools, and a state university. Almost everyone on the island is fluent in English. The locals speak Nauruan as their first language. For example, the name "Nauru" itself
originates from the Nauruan term "Anáoero," which means "I go to the beach." How do you say hello? How about “how are you”? I came to the parliament building where Nauru is governed. Contrary to the expected formal setting,
it reflects the relaxed atmosphere of the island. There was no security at the entrance, and I was allowed to take photos and videos with my phone. With only 19 seats, Nauru’s parliament is
one of the smallest in the world. If those here knew about the scenes
I'll show you later in the video, they would probably think twice about letting me be here. By the 1970’s, the Nauru government realized that
their phosphate reserves ending and they mirrored oil-rich Middle Eastern nations
by investing in overseas properties, including Nauru House in Melbourne, Nauru Tower in Hawaii, Pacific Star Hotel in Guam, Pacific House in Washington, The Grand Pacific Hotel in Fiji, and many more. However, corruption and mismanagement put the government into a deficit of millions of dollars per year
throughout the 1990's and the savings from phosphate quickly went up in smoke. In an effort to sustain its welfare, the government aimed to turn the country into a tax heaven and got involved in money laundering
scandals with drug cartels, the Russian mafia, and organizations like Al-Qaeda. Nauru issued licenses to over 400
foreign banks under a system that, didn't require branching and allowed optional record-keeping. During that period, the Russian mafia alone laundered an estimate of
$70 billion through the banks in Nauru. As a result of international pressures, the country put an end to illegal offshore banking activities and has been compelled to use
a cash-based economy since 2004. The Australian dollar is the official currency of Nauru. A few and only ATMs in the country don't have money either. I brought some cash with me because
credit cards are also not accepted here. Following efforts to prevent money laundering, only one bank which is Australian,
currently operates in the country. As the year 2000 approached, phosphate reserves had run dry and phosphate export fell to one percent
compared to its peak period. The country’s central bank collapsed, and its properties abroad were sold off one by one. We see the excavation machines in action
as we move through the Topside. The country still continues to extract
phosphate on a small scale. If they discover another phosphate mine here,
would you support mining it? I’ll just say leave nature alone. Because Nauru is now digging to the ground, we’re gonna sink! 52% of the population lives at or below the poverty line and tries to survive on aid from the church. In low-income areas, stress triggers
high levels of tobacco consumption. Roughly one out of every two individuals above
the age of 15 consumes cigarettes on the island. There are a total of five beaches on the island, and they’ve been partially littered with rubber tires and trash. Nauru agreed to accept unwanted refugees from Australia in exchange for financial support in 2001. Around 1,000 refugees, mostly of Afghan,
Iraqi and Iranian descent, were transported to Nauru and detained for an indefinite period. On the Topside, three refugee camps were established. People were forced to stay in plastic tents for years, under the scorching sun, without regular access to clean water. Many tried to escape from inhuman, miserable conditions and an uncertain future by ending their lives. The ones who suffered the most
from this situation were the children, who made up the majority of the camps. Australia was spending an average of $550 million
each year to maintain these camps. In other words, the Nauru government made a profit of $500,000 for each refugee held captive on the island. As I tried to get to these hidden areas, suddenly barricades appeared in my way. They had blocked all the roads leading to the camps
located in three different spots in the Topside, I found a way to shoot from the outside. For around two decades, these camps became the scene of
numerous individuals losing their lives, due to medical negligence, accidents, and taking one’s own life. Recent reports indicate that these places
are now completely empty. However, the locals have no specific
knowledge about this matter. Currently, Nauru is counting down the days to
engage in deep-sea mining, in collaboration with the Canada-based Metals Company. Their plan is to extract polymetallic stones, that only grow a few millimeters per million years. These stones containing metals such as cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese, found in batteries,
will be the energy source of the near future. Scientists warn that these mining operations,
putting marine life at risk, could potentially reduce the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon, and accelerate climate change. The illusion of wealth that suddenly
Nauru got itself into in the late 1960’s caused a generation to not understand
the importance of hard-work and education. The government did not make future plans and exhausted all the nation’s resources. It seems almost impossible to build a better future here without the necessary motivation, skills and knowledge. This small island with wounds that can never be healed basically stands in front of us as a
summary of what is going on in the world and as a lesson that humanity should always remember. Thank you for watching this documentary. I hope it added a value to your worldview perspective. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. See you in the next one. Ruhi Çenet was here.
