Nauru has made it rich on phosphate. Situated some 41 kilometers south of the equator, the island has a population of less than 9,000--fewer than the number of students at Taipei's largest elementary school--and a land area of just 21 square kilometers. But because of its phosphate deposits, Nauru has become the richest nation in the South Pacific, with a per capita income of US$20,000.

The phosphate was formed by the excrement of seabirds which for ages and ages have stopped and rested on the island while flying across the Pacific. The excrement they left behind turned into a rich layer of phosphate, spread across the island.

The discovery of the island's phosphate by the Germans at the beginning of the twentieth century changed the fate of the island and opened the way for Chinese immigration to this remote piece of earth.

After World War Ⅰ the administration of the island was transferred under mandate of the League of Nations from Germany to Britain, Australia, and New Zealand In 1920 the three nations engaged the Chinese Phosphate Commission to supply the labor they desperately needed for the mines. "Chinese workers--diligent, docile and frugal--were sent to the island by the boatload like pigs," says a Chinese who has lived on Nauru for 27 years.

The greatest number of Chinese on the island was 2,000, but as deposits diminished the workers gradually left, until now only about 200 or 300 Chinese remain.

Nauru's phosphate deposits lie open to the air. Due to mechanization, the mining is not as laborious as it once was, says foreman Hsu Shan-ch'eng, but "the pay hasn't changed for the past thirty-some years. It's still only about six Australian dollars a day."

The Chinese workers come chiefly from Hong Kong and the mainland. What brought them here? "After the horrors of the Cultural Revolution, you can stand anything," one worker said.

Nauru is a wealthy country, where public utilities are provided free and social welfare is generous, but foreigners are not allowed to live there unless they have employment. Even though the pay is low, mining phosphate is still a job, and many Chinese also open a store and engage in business in addition to working in the mines.

The island's Chinatown, located in the miners' housing district, has stores, teahouses and Cantonese restaurants. A fixed portion of the profits are donated to a fund for helping out compatriots in need and for providing lanterns and dragon dances at Chinese New Year.

Chinese people everywhere emphasize education, and Nauru is no exception. The Chinese school has 29 students in four grades. The teacher is from Hong Kong and a graduate of National Taiwan University.

After nearly a century of mining the island's phosphate deposits are estimated to have a remaining life of only another ten or so years at the present rate of exploitation. In preparation for the day when the deposits are gone, the government has invested prudently in real estate in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii, but its policy of excluding foreigners from permanent residence means that the Chinese population must disappear along with the mines, spelling the end of the history of Chinese labor on the island.

[Picture Caption]

Phosphate, Nature's gift to Nauru, is steadily being depleted.

The story of Chinese phosphate workers in the South Pacific is familiar to few.

Payday comes every two weeks.

Coral left behind after the phosphate has been mined stretches like an elaborate labyrinth as far as the eye can see.

Wherever there are Chinese there's a Chinatown, even if it's just a little grocery store.

Chinese workers are experienced and tough, but they put out more than they get back.

The "teahouse" is where workers take their meals and chat.

The phosphate workers' living quarters are not good.

The story of Chinese phosphate workers in the South Pacific is familiar to few.

Chinese Phosphate Miners in Nauru （Photo by Vincent Chang）

Payday comes every two weeks.

Coral left behind after the phosphate has been mined stretches like an elaborate labyrinth as far as the eye can see.

The phosphate workers' living quarters are not good.

Wherever there are Chinese there's a Chinatown, even if it's just a little grocery store.

Chinese workers are experienced and tough, but they put out more than they get back.