Banaba, also known as Ocean Island, is a small island measuring 6.29 square kilometers, roughly the size of 880 football fields. From 1900 to 1979, phosphate was mined there for the production of fertilizer, stripping away 90% of its surface. The island, now part of Kiribati, was used to support agriculture in other countries. Soil was transported by boat, and the island's inhabitants followed. Between 1900 and 1979, 90% of the island's soil was extracted for fertilizer used in Australia and New Zealand. Phosphate was discovered in 1899, and the island was exploited for 79 years. The Journal of Human Rights and the Environment notes the loss of 90% of the island's soil, benefiting farmers in other countries. This extraction continued with only minor interruptions. Between 1942 and 1945, the island was occupied by Japanese forces, leading to a tragic event. On August 26, 1942, the Japanese army occupied Banaba, and the occupation lasted until 1945. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the Japanese deported part of the population, including Banabans and Gilbertese, to other Pacific islands. Others remained on the island, under military control. On August 20, 1945, Japanese soldiers killed all the Banabans still present on the island, except for one. This tragedy occurred after Japan announced its surrender, adding to its absurdity. Historians agree that the massacre took place after the acceptance of surrender terms. Only one person survived. On December 15, 1945, 703 Banabans left the island and arrived on the island of Rabi in Fiji. Among them, 318 were children, or 45% of the group. They traveled aboard the Triona, a ship owned by the British Phosphate Commission (BPC), the same organization that had been exploiting their island since 1919. The term to describe their departure is debated. Some sources refer to it as a relocation decided by the British administration, while others call it a forced displacement. Academics and Banaban associations use different terms. What is clear is that the departure took place on a ship belonging to the organization that had continued to extract phosphate from the island. In 1971, the Banabans brought their case before British courts, seeking a larger share of royalties and compensation for the devastation of their island. According to Britannica, they sued the United Kingdom government as early as 1971. The Tito v Waddell (No 2) trial in 1977 dealt with these royalties and the restoration of the exploited lands. Phosphate extraction stopped in 1979. In 2020, Banaba had 330 inhabitants, while about 6,000 people worldwide claim Banaban ancestry. Thus, barely more than 5% of this population lives on the original island.