Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is a small island nation and microstate located in the Micronesia region of Oceania, situated in the Central Pacific Ocean. It is renowned for its extremely small size and its historical reliance on phosphate mining, which profoundly shaped its economy and demographics. The nation's population of approximately 10,834 resides on an area of only 21 km², making it one of the world's smallest inhabited territories. The capital and largest settlement, Yaren, serves as the administrative center for this unique Pacific island state.