 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in French. (July 2021)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
 Nauruan warrior, 1880 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 15,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Nauru | c. 11,000 |
 Australia | c. 800 |
 New Zealand | 135[1] |
| Languages | |
| Nauruan (native),English,Nauru Pidgin | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity,Shamanism,Animism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Polynesians,Melanesians, andMicronesians | |
Nauruans are a nation and an ethnic groupindigenous to the Pacific island country ofNauru. They are most likely a blend of Micronesian, Melanesian and Polynesian ancestry.[2]
The origin of the Nauruan people has not yet been finally determined. It was probably seafaring or shipwreckedPolynesians orMelanesians, who established themselves there because there was not already anindigenous population present, whereas theMicronesians were already crossed with the Melanesians in this area.
The Nauruans have two elements of their population: the native Micronesians and the Polynesians who had immigrated long before. Through these two extremes, diverse traditions came to exist.
In about 1920,influenza spread through Nauru, which took a heavy toll on the Nauruans. In 1925, the first cases ofdiabetes were diagnosed by doctors. Today, depending on age, every second to third Nauruan is diabetic – a higher rate than any other country in the world.
The Nauruans were historically divided into 12 tribes, each with its own chief and a distinct style of clothing, with children inheriting the tribe from their mother's side.
Each of the 12 tribes is associated with certain concepts:[3]
Nauruans were classified into three social classes:temonibes (senior members of senior clans),amenengames (middle class) and theitsios (serf class).[4] While temonibes and amenengames were determined at birth, itsio were usually allocated by being prisoners of war, and were often treated as goods. There was a separate class of castaways that were treated as pets, but they were never as low as the itsios.
.svg) | This article related to anethnic group inOceania is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
