1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Coastline
30 km
Comparative area
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
only 53 km south of Equator
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Land boundaries
none
Land use
0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Natural resources
phosphates
Note
one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia)
Terrain
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Territorial sea
1 2 nm .
Total area
21 km2; land area: 21 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
20 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
5 deaths/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
58% Nauruan, 26% other Pacific Islander, 8%, Chinese, 8% European
Infant mortality rate
41 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
NA
Language
Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language (official); English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Life expectancy at birth
64 years male, 69 years female (1990)
Literacy
99%
Nationality
noun — Nauruan(s); adjective— Nauruan
Net migration rate
NEGL migrants/ 1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
NA
Population
9,202 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1990)
Religion
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Total fertility rate
2.3 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
1 4 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, ljuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Capital
no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District
Constitution
29 January 1968
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador T. W. STAR resides in Melbourne (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam); US — the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru
Elections
President — last held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results — Bernard Dowiyogo elected by Parliament; Parliament — last held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results — percent of vote NA; seats — (18 total) independents 18
Executive branch
president, Cabinet
Flag
blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 1 2-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru
Independence
31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government— President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989) Political parties and leaders: none
Legal system
own Acts of Parliament and British common law
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament
Long-form name
Republic of Nauru
Member of
Commonwealth (special member), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
Aid
none
Budget
revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
Currency
Australian dollar (plural — dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Electricity
13,250 kW capacity; 48 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 — 1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752(1988), 1.4267(1987), 1.4905(1986), 1.4269(1985)
Exports
$93 million (f.o.b., 1984); commodities— phosphates; partners — Australia, NZ
External debt
$33.3 million
Fiscal year
1 July-30 June
GNP
over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)
Imports
$73 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities— food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery; partners — Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Overview
Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World— $10,000 annually. Few other resources exist so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates constitute serious longterm problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition.
Unemployment rate
0%
Communications
Airports
1 with permanent-surface runway 1, 220-2,439 m
Civil air
3 major transport aircraft, one on order
Highways
about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth
Merchant marine
4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 39,597 GRT/50,729 DWT; includes I passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 2 bulk
Ports
Nauru
Railroads
3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
Telecommunications
adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radio receivers; stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station