Possible Clues:

• Island country in Micronesia
• Leading authority losing capital after backing an island nation
• Beginning to near Australia, unfortunate refugees upset to be incarcerated here
• Island nation in the Pacific
• Pacific nation’s gold in new version of rugby
• South Pacific microstate
• Island that's the world's third-smallest country, after Vatican City and Monaco
• South Pacific republic
• Gold in vase turned up in Pacific island
• Captured by Spain, a Uruguayan island