Aiwo Google Map, Myanmar

Aiwo Nauru is a small island country made up of fourteen administrative districts that are situated in the central pacific ocean just south of the equator. Aiwo is one of these administrative districts. Even though Nauru has no official capital, the district of Aiwo is occasionally defined as an administrative or business centre in Nauru due to its infrastructure and port. Located on the west side of the island, Aivo covers slightly above one square kilometer of land, which is neither large by the humble standards of Nauru, but occupies disproportionately large no less significant part of the overall daily workings of the country.

History

History The history of Aiwo cannot be separated and it cannot be understood without the knowledge of Nauru history. Indigenous Micronesian people settled in the island before the European arrival and developed their cultural activity of many centuries. The organization of the Early Nauruan society was in matrilineal clans and villages were spread along the coastal ring of the island-a structure that incorporated the section of the island which is presently known as Aiwo. In spite of little documentation of the pre-colonial development of each district, AIwo would have existed within the wider framework of the interwoven network of clan spaces determining who could access land, fishing sites and group resources. The official discovery of Nauru by Europeans took place in 1798 when the British captain John Fearn sailed by and named the place Pleasant Island.

More contact with whalers and traders in the 19th century brought in novel products and technology, as well as social disturbances. Alcohol, guns, and contagion changed the local processes but helped to create an inter-clan war which lasted several years and involved all the regions where people lived, including present-day Aiwo. Nauru was annexed to Germany in 1888, and the longstanding internal dispute came to an end. The island was being gradually incorporated in the world economy under the German rule. It is also the time when the significant social shifts started when Christian missionaries opened churches and started conversing the surrounding communities. In the turn of 20 th century crocodile phosphate in deposits, which were built through millennia by seabird guano was found in large numbers. It started mining in 1907 and was registered under Pacific Phosphate Company but grew at a very fast pace.

The coastal position of Aiwo had given it the best location in terms of industrial infrastructure and by the early 20 th century fortunately it became the main location of the phosphate processing and exporting plants of Nauru. The dug-up interior was ferried by conveyor systems to ships anchored in the offshore areas with the phosphate. Despite phosphate prosperity, the long-term environmental effects were so devastating with the majority of the land in the main plateau of the island being inhospitable as the phosphate wealth enormously stimulated the population growth in most of the areas. Following the World War I, Nauru came under the mandate of the League of Nations and was governed by Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom. Aiwo continued to be an industrial center although mining was on the increase. Nauru was invaded by Japanese troops in the year 1942 and occupied it in the years 1942 to 1945. Nauruans were deported to other Pacific islands in huge numbers as forced laborers. The infrastructure of the island, such as zones surrounding Aiwo, was not spared by the war and was disrupted, but eventually the phosphate activities resumed. In the year 1968, Nauru took over its phosphate industry and became an independent state. The public services increased greatly, as the generated revenue helped the country to invest a lot of money on them, and the living standards increased significantly. Aiwo remained the main exporter of phosphate in the country, its identity was connected with the industry which made the economy of the country. However, in the late 20 th century phosphate reserves were exhausted and Nauru was beginning to lose its economy. Aiwo, too, was not spared since port operations became slow as well as most industrial installations deteriorated.

Culture

Culture The Aiwo culture is representative of the greater culture of Nauru a society with high familial bonds, dense community connections and traditions having developed due to the millennia of island life. Despite the introduction of modernity that has changed the way of life of people in Nauru, some of the major aspects of the Nauruan culture still persist. Conventional Nauruan culture used to be today centered on the twelve matrilineal clans having their roles and duties in society. The identity of a clan determined social relationship, land tenure and inheritance pattern. Individual identity which is reflected in the clan affiliations is also identified by many families in Aiwo until the modern times. Courtesy with the elders, especially older women is a relevant cultural value. The culture of Nauruans has traditionally been a community-oriented culture of mutual assistance. The extended families are usually residing near to each other and even communal gatherings, feasts and religious festivals keep an essential part.

Aiwo is a relatively urban location with a mixture of both modern and traditional life forms due to economic activities therein being relatively high. The social cohesion is high in the modern setting and the residents still engage in the island-wide celebrations, national holidays and ceremonies that strengthens the sense of identity. Prior to the colonial contact, Nauru was a land of art and performance that included dance, music, and narration. Local legends, clan histories and lineages were also told through songs and dances. Though not all forms of traditional arts have survived modernization and influence of historical revolution, attempts have been undertaken to preserve and restore cultural practice. Community occasions also encompass traditional dances like the Frigate Bird dance which is associated with power and an ocean connection. Fishing at one time played an important role in everyday life not only as an avenue of food but also as a cultural activity.

Nauru has a particular practice involving trained frdomain birds and some Nauruans, pictorially, would use such assistants on fishing. Though it is not common nowadays, such practice is an interesting aspect of the cultural memory. In spite of the environmental transformation caused by phosphate mining and the effects of globalization, the people of Aiwo and all the Nauruans have demonstrated their ability to remain strong in terms of continuity in culture.

Language

Aiwo is not an exception to the language, because Nauruan identity is highly based on language. The major language used by locals is the Nauruan language also referred to as Dorerin Naoero by locals. Nauruan is a language of Micronesian family which is Austronesian. Despite similarities with other micronesian languages, it is a defiant one and not mutually intelligent to the other languages like the Kiribati language or the Marshall Islands language. Nauruan is spoken not only at home, within young families, and in the community, but also in Aiwo. It is written by the help of Latin alphabet, and though this language has been slightly modernized in spelling rules, it still has numerous characteristics of its long oral tradition. Gradually Nauruan has been influenced by loanwords of English and once of German which was historically used by the island as it was under the rule of the empire.

In Aiwo and in Nauru, English is also a significant part. It is popular in government, education, administration and formal communication. Nauruans speak two languages with many easily switching between English and Nauruany languages depending on the context. It is this bilingualism that enables the Nauruans to interact with world institutions and retain the language.

Geography

Geography Aiwo is a small area of the narrow strip of coast on Aiwo that surrounds the high interior plateau of Nauru. The district is located at the west of the island, and it has a little over one square kilometer. It is situated on generally flat land, on fertile soils in comparison with the mined interior, and has close access to the ocean--the same factors which favoured the location of settlement in ancient times, and still favour residential occupancy in the present day as in old times. Nauru is a coral island on its own, which was created through millions of years. The plateau it has on the inside was previously quite densely forested but was mined to extract phosphates intensively in the 20 th century. Major part of it is still inhabitable as a result of environmental degradation. By comparison, the coastal strip, which also encompasses Aiwo has been the main location of habitation, business, and development of infrastructure. Another reason that Aiwo coastline is important is that it provides a portion of the industrial facilities of Nauru including the phosphate loading facilities with historical importance. The site of the district was such that the ships could anchor out and eliminate processed phosphate brought to the outpost by conveyor belts. This geographical position is one of the reasons why Aiwo has been an ancient industrial and logistical hub.

Aiwo climate, similar to the others in Nauru, is tropical, and the temperatures are the same throughout the year, there are moderate changes in rainfall, and a lot of humidity. The island is not in the direct way of great cyclones though they may also be subject to seasonal storms. The island limited fresh water is unavailable since there are no rivers or big lakes; rainfall and desalination stations present most of fresh water to the populations.

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