How the Richest Country in the World Lost 90% of Its Economy

In the 1980s, Nauru was the richest country in the world per capita — thanks to massive phosphate reserves used in fertilizers.

But by the early 2000s, the island had completely run out of phosphate… and its GDP collapsed by over 90%.
This is the shocking true story of how extreme wealth, poor planning, and environmental destruction turned a paradise into a cautionary tale.