1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 21 km2 land area: 21 km2 comparative area: about one-tenth the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Coastline
30 km
Environment
only 53 km south of Equator
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location
Oceania, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea
Map references
Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
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
People and Society
Birth rate
18.92 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Infant mortality rate
40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
by occupation: NA
Languages
Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 66.68 years male: 64.3 years female: 69.18 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan
Net migration rate
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
9,882 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.42% (1993 est.)
Religions
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Total fertility rate
2.2 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Capital
no official capital; government offices in Yaren
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)
Constitution
29 January 1968
Digraph
NR
Diplomatic representation in US
there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam)
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)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
own Acts of Parliament and British common law
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament
Member of
AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UPU
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Parliament
last held on 14 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (18 total) independents 18
Political parties and leaders
none
President
last held 19 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995); results - Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru
Economy
Agriculture
coconuts; other agricultural activity negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
Budget
revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
Currency
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $2 million
Electricity
14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988)
Exports
$93 million (f.o.b., 1984) commodities: phosphates partners: Australia, NZ
External debt
$33.3 million
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
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, coconut products
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
National product
GNP - exchange rate conversion - $90 million (1989 est.)
National product per capita
$10,000 (1989 est.)
National product real growth rate
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 are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition.
Unemployment rate
0%
Communications
Airports
total: 1 useable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Highways
about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth
Merchant marine
1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,426 GRT/5,750 DWT
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 local and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Directorate of the Nauru Police Force note: no regular armed forces
Defense expenditures
$NA - no formal defense structure
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 NA; fit for military service NA