Nauru is a small, oval-shaped island in the western Pacific. The interior phosphate plateau, comprising 60 percent of the land area, has been extensively mined, leaving a jagged and pitted landscape. Germany annexed Nauru in 1888, and Australia took it over in 1914. After World War II it was a joint trust territory of Australia, Britain, and New Zealand until it became independent in 1968. Phosphate exports earned economic stability for the country, but deposits could run out by 2005.