Editing History of Nauru (section)

==Trust Territory==
In 1947,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-13 |title=Nauru - Phosphate Mining, WWII, Geopolitics {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Nauru/History |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> a trusteeship was established by the United Nations, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom became the U.N. trustees of the island, although practical administration was mostly handled by Australia. By 1965 the population reached 5,561, of which just under half were considered Nauruan.<ref name="Lal2006">{{cite book |author1=Brij V Lal |title=British Documents on the End of Empire Project Series B Volume 10: Fiji |date= 2006 |publisher=University of London: Institute of Commonwealth Studies |pages=299, 309 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z2R3Nk3jUlsC |chapter='Pacific Island talks': Commonwealth Office notes on four-power talks in Washington |isbn=9780112905899 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z2R3Nk3jUlsC&pg=PA297}}</ref> In July 1966 the Nauruan Head Chief spoke at the [[United Nations Trusteeship Council]], calling for independence by 31 January 1968. This was supported by the General Assembly in December of that year.<ref name="Lal2006"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/UNGA/1966/109.pdf |title=Question of the Trust Territory of Nauru |publisher=United Nations General Assembly |date=20 December 1966 |access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref> Australia and the other administering powers sought to arrange an alternative to independence, such as internal self-government similar to that of the [[West Indies Associated States]], or with Australia retaining a role in foreign affairs. Under these envisioned solutions, the resulting political settlement would be permanent, with no route to independence. This was due to concern over implications for other Pacific territories, and for the implication of such a [[Microstate|small community]] (the size of an "English village") gaining the full trappings of statehood. These suggestions were however rejected by Nauru, and Australia was concerned that even if they were accepted by Nauru, they might not be accepted by the UN. In June 1967 it was agreed that assets belonging to the [[British Phosphate Commission]] on the island would be sold to Nauru for 21 million Australian dollars. Nauru was granted unconditional independence on 31 January 1968.<ref name="Lal2006"/>