1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
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
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
phosphates
Note
Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean--the others are Banaba (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
Total area
21 km2; land area: 21 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
19 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Infant mortality rate
41 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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 (1991)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Nationality
noun--Nauruan(s); adjective--Nauruan
Net migration rate
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
NA
Population
9,333 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)
Religion
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Total fertility rate
2.1 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Capital
no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District
Constitution
29 January 1968
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador-designate Theodore Conrad MOSES resident 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 12-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)
Legal system
own Acts of Parliament and British common law
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament
Long-form name
Republic of Nauru
Member of
C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Political parties and leaders
none
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 20
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
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
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries (1970-1988), $2 million
Electricity
14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (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 long-term 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
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,261 GRT/39,838 DWT; includes 1 passenger-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 radios; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
Defense expenditures
no formal defense structure _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service