Culture of Nauru
Encyclopedia
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
by contemporary western influences is very clearly visible on the island. Only little remains preserved from the old customs. The traditions of arts and crafts are lost nearly completely.
Arts and crafts
The inhabitants of NauruNauruan people
The indigenous peoples of Nauru are an ethnicity, which inhabit the Pacific island of Nauru. They are most likely a blend of other Pacific peoples....
wear the usual tropical clothes: short trousers and light shirts. Fishing still follows a traditional method: the island anglers wait in small light boats for fish to arrive. The custom of fishing by trained frigatebird
Frigatebird
The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them...
s has been preserved.
Radio Nauru has collected numerous recordings of local people's music. But even old Nauruans can rarely understand the contents of these songs.
Whilst the traditional culture rapidly gives way to the contemporary, as elsewhere in Micronesia, music and dance still rank among the most popular art forms. Rhythmic singing and traditional reigen are performed particularly at celebrations and
craftsmen make articles of clothing and fans of Kokosfasern and the sheets of the screw tree and use geometrical samples, which resemble those of the Indonesian culture. Also the wood of the kokospalme is used for the production of arts and crafts.
Language and education
The language of Nauru, NauriNauruan language
The Nauruan language is an Austronesian language spoken in Nauru. It is estimated that it has 7,000 speakers. Almost all speakers are bilingual in English....
, is a Micronesian language. English is understood and spoken widely.
Education is compulsory from 6 to 16, in all the schools on the island. The University of the South Pacific
University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
has a center in Nauru located in the Aiwo District and offers pre-school teacher education, nutrition and disability studies and will offer the Community Workers Certificate. The campus offers Audio and video conferencing facilities, library and computer laboratory as well as internet and email access via USPNet are available for students. For secondary and university education, most Nauruans' children must go abroad. During its prosperous years these children were sent to Australia but now were sent to Fiji.
The official national holiday is the independence day on 31 January, but Angam Day
Angam Day
Angam Day is a holiday recognized in the Republic of Nauru. It is celebrated yearly on October 26.-Etymology:The Nauruan word angam means "jubilation", "celebration", "to have triumphed over all hardships" or "to have reached a set goal" or "coming home".-General:Angam Day is a day of celebration...
is considered as an additional national holiday.
The Nauruan
Nauruan
Nauruan may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the country of Nauru* Nauruan people, persons from Nauru, or of Nauruan descent. For more information see Demographics of Nauru and Culture of Nauru. For specific persons, see List of Nauruans....
words of the national anthem were written by Margaret Hendrie
Margaret Hendrie
-National anthem of Nauru:She was the writer of the lyrics in the Nauruan language to Nauru Bwiema, the national anthem of Nauru, officially adopted in 1968....
and adopted in 1968 upon the Republic of Nauru's independence.
Sport
The national sport of Nauru is Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
. A 12-team senior league operates in the country, see Australian rules football in Nauru
Australian rules football in Nauru
Australian rules football in Nauru dates back to the 1930s and quickly established itself, along with weightlifting as the national sport of the country.The overall participation rate of over 30% is the highest for the sport in the world.-Structure:...
and it is a popular spectator sport. Nauru has competed internationally in Australian rules football at the Arafura Games
Arafura Games
The Arafura Games is a Multi-sport event held every 2 years in the Australian city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is an international event which draws its competitors from around the world. First held in 1991, the most recent Games, held in 2009, involved over 30 nations and over 3,000...
, Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
and Barassi International Youth Tournament. The national team, the "Chiefs", ranked 8th in the International Cup in 2002 and gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the Arafura Games
Arafura Games
The Arafura Games is a Multi-sport event held every 2 years in the Australian city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is an international event which draws its competitors from around the world. First held in 1991, the most recent Games, held in 2009, involved over 30 nations and over 3,000...
.
Nauruans also participate in soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. A Nauru national soccer team
Nauru national soccer team
The Nauru national soccer team is an international team from the Republic of Nauru. However it is not a member of the OFC or FIFA, and is therefore not eligible to enter either the World Cup or OFC Nations Cup....
exists, however the federation is not yet recognised by the OFC
OFC
OFC may refer to:* Corporate Office Properties Trust * Oceania Football Confederation* Offshore Financial Centre* Online Film Critics Society* Open fiber control* Open Financial Connectivity* Optical fiber cable* Optical Fiber Conference...
or FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
.
Tennis, sailing as well as swimming and golf are also practised on the island. There are some sports pitches in Nauru. The only stadium is in Yaren, but it is obsolete and fails to meet international standards. A larger and more modern sports stadium is being built in Meneng
Meneng
Meneng is a district located in the Meneng Constituency in the country Nauru.The constituency returns 2 members to the Parliament of Nauru in Yaren.-Noted Features:...
, however lack of money has caused the project to stall. The current stadia are:
- Aida Oval
- Denig Stadium in Denigomodu
- Linkbelt OvalLinkbelt OvalLinkbelt Oval is currently the only sports stadium of the island nation of Nauru, besides Menen Stadium. It is located in Aiwo and was constructed by the Nauru Phosphate Corporation...
in AiwoAiwoAiwo is a district in the Pacific country of Nauru.It belongs to Aiwo Constituency.-Location and features:It is located in the west of the island. It covers an area of and a population of 1,300... - Menen Stadium in Meneng
- National Stadium in Yaren
A traditional 'sport' is catching birds when they return from foraging at sea to the island towards sunset. The men then stand on the beach ready to throw their lasso. The Nauruan lasso
Lasso
A lasso , also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata , is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something...
is supple rope with a weight at the end. When a bird comes over they throw their lasso up, it hits and or drapes itself over the bird, which then falls down and is seized for food.
Weightlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
is one of the more traditional sports in Nauru.
See also
- Religion in NauruReligion in NauruChristianity is the primary religion in Nauru. According to the 2002 census, approximately two-thirds of Christians are Protestant, and the remainder are Catholic.The largest denomination is the Nauru Congregational Church. The ethnic Chinese on the island, approximately 3 to 4 percent of the...