1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

0 32 S, 166 55 E -- Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands Flag ----

Area

comparative area

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

land area

21 sq km

total area

21 sq km

Climate

tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline

30 km

Environment

current issues

limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater; phosphate mining threatens limited remaining land resources

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

natural hazards

periodic droughts

Geographic coordinates

0 32 S, 166 55 E

Geographic 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; only 53 km south of Equator

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

0%

other

100%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

phosphates

Terrain

sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

highest point

unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Birth rate

18.03 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%

Infant mortality rate

40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.18 years (1996 est.)

male

64.3 years

total population

66.68 years

Literacy

NA

Nationality

adjective

Nauruan

noun

Nauruan(s)

Net migration rate

0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

10,273 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.33% (1996 est.)

Religions

Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)

Sex ratio

all ages

NA male(s)/female

at birth

NA male(s)/female

under 15 years

NA male(s)/female 15-64 years: NA male(s)/female 65 years and over: NA male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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 District

Constitution

29 January 1968

Data code

NR

Diplomatic representation in US

Nauru does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the president from among members of Parliament

chief of state and head of government

President Lagumot HARRIS (since 22 November 1995) was elected by Parliament; election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998)

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 the Australia-, New Zealand-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UPU, WHO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Nauru

conventional short form

Nauru

former

Pleasant Island

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Parliament

election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (18 total) independents 18

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Agriculture

coconuts predominate

Budget

expenditures

$69.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)

revenues

$23.8 million

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic 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. 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. However, dividends from the trusts have declined sharply since 1990 and the government has been borrowing from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits.

Electricity

capacity

14,000 kW

consumption per capita

3,036 kWh (1993)

production

30 million kWh

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3477 (January 1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991)

Exports

$25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities

phosphates

partners

Australia, NZ

External debt

$33.3 million

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $100 million (1993 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$10,000 (1993 est.)

GDP real growth rate

NA%

Imports

$21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991)

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)

-3.6% (1993)

Labor force

by occupation

NA

Unemployment rate

0%

Branches

no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

NA

males fit for military service

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

4,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

adequate local and international radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

2,000 (1989 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1986 est.)

Televisions

NA Defense

Airports

total

1

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

21 km

total

27 km

unpaved

6 km (1986 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Nauru

Railways

total

3.9 km; note - used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast