The Coral Pinnacles & Karst Landscape of Topside

Millions of years of marine coral accretion created the foundation of Nauru. Over centuries, natural geological forces raised the coral limestone above sea level, forming a raised atoll island. ### The Pinnacles of Topside When phosphate deposits were carefully extracted during the 20th century, thousands of ancient jagged limestone pillars were revealed across the central plateau ('Topside'). Today, wild green pandanus, fern, and creeping vines are naturally repopulating the pinnacles, creating a dramatic biological recovery story.