1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Coastline
30 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Environment--current issues
limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years--mainly by a UK, Australia, and New Zealand consortium--has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
Environment--international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Geography--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
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: 100% (1993 est.)
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 hazards
periodic droughts
Natural resources
phosphates
Terrain
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Birth rate
NA
Death rate
0 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Infant mortality rate
NA deaths/1,000 live births
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: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy
NA
Nationality
noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
10,605 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0% (1999 est.)
Religions
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Total fertility rate
NA children born/woman
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 District
Constitution
29 January 1968
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island
Data code
NR
Executive branch
chief of state: President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 17 June 1998 (next to be held NA 2001) election results: Bernard DOWIYOGO elected president; percent of Parliament vote--NA note: former President Kinza CLODUMAR was deposed in a no-confidence vote
Flag 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
Government type
republic
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, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO Diplomatic representation in the US: Nauru does not have an embassy in the US consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam) Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
Judicial branch
Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: loose multi-party system; Nauru
Legal system
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2000) election results: percent of vote--NA; seats--independents 18
National holiday
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Economy
Agriculture--products
coconuts
Budget
revenues: $23.4 million expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96)
Currency
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Debt--external
$33.3 million
Economic aid--recipient
$2.5 million (1995); note?$2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.)
Economy--overview
Revenues come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World. Few other resources exist, thus most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition. The government also has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has called a freezing of wages, a reduction of over-staffed public service departments, privatization of numerous government agencies, and closure of some overseas consulates.
Electricity--consumption
32 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
32 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.5853 (January 1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994)
Exports
$25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991)
Exports--commodities
phosphates
Exports--partners
Australia, NZ
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
purchasing power parity?$10,000 (1993 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991)
Imports--commodities
food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
Imports--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
employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
0%
Communications
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
1 (1997)
Televisions
NA
Transportation
Airports
1 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 30 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 6 km (1996 est.) Ports and harbors: Nauru
Merchant marine
none
Railways
total: 3.9 km; note--used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
Military and Security
Military branches
no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
NA%
Military--note
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, Australia is responsible for defense of the island
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none