Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Nauruan is the indigenous name used on official documents. Politically, the country is called the Republic of Nauru (RON). Pleasant Islander. Other spellings have appeared, such as Naoero on the national crest. In the 1800s, the island had been a playground for whalers and beachcombers who left behind many English-sounding surnames, as well as guns and gin that added to the damage caused by mining....
