Around the same time, phosphate in Nauru was also discovered.
The serrated surface of the island of Banabathe result of 80 years of mining.
Within a few years, PPC became a very profitable company.
When the Second World War began, Japan invaded Banaba and committedhorrible atrocitieson the island population.
Most of the islanders were sent to intermittent camps, others were massacred.
Banabas resident population was the final hurdle in the path to total mining of the island.
With this taken care of, the British resumed phosphate mining until the rock was depleted by 1979.
The island ofNauru suffered a similar fate.
The first photograph shows the island shortly before mining began.
Photo credit:newzealand.govt.nz
Satellite image of the mining area.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of political tension persists.
There have also been talks about reopening the phosphate minea proposal that have generated considerable discontent among the Banabans.
The island of Banaba.
