2000 Edition

Background

Nauru's phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium; the island was occupied by Australian forces in World War I. Upon achieving independence in 1968, Nauru became the smallest independent republic in the world; it joined the UN in 1999.

Area

land

21 sq km

total

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

highest point

unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; 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

0%

forests and woodland

0%

other

100% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

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 hazards

periodic droughts

Natural resources

phosphates

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.99% (male 2,494; female 2,361) 15-64 years: 57.37% (male 3,383; female 3,413) 65 years and over: 1.64% (male 97; female 97) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

27.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

10.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 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

64.5 years (2000 est.)

male

57.35 years

total population

60.84 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

NA%

Nationality

adjective

Nauruan

noun

Nauruan(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

11,845 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.05% (2000 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.71 children born/woman (2000 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

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Nauru

conventional short form

Nauru

former

Pleasant Island

Data code

NR

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

Nauru does not have an embassy in the US, but will open a UN office early in 2000 at 800 2nd Avenue, New York, New York

consulate(s)

Agana (Guam)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament

chief of state

President Rene HARRIS (since NA 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Rene HARRIS elected president; percent of Parliament vote - NA

elections

president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 27 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2002)

head of government

President Rene HARRIS (since NA 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

note

former President Bernard DOWIYOGO 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, ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18

elections

last held 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2000)

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Political parties and leaders

loose multiparty system; Democratic Party ; Nauru Party (informal)

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

coconuts

Budget

expenditures

$64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96)

revenues

$23.4 million

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$33.3 million

Economic aid - recipient

$2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.)

Economy - overview

Revenues of this tiny island come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted in the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World, with estimates of GDP varying widely. 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 for a freezing of wages, a reduction of over-staffed public service departments, privatization of numerous government agencies, and closure of some overseas consulates. In recent years Nauru has encouraged the registration of offshore banks and corporations. Tens of billions of dollars have been channeled through their accounts.

Electricity - consumption

28 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.5207 (January 2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995)

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%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

7,000 (1997)

Telephone system

adequate local and international radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular

450 (1994)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

500 (1997)

Airports

1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

24 km

total

30 km

unpaved

6 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Nauru

Railways

total

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

Military - note

Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, Australia is responsible for defense of the island

Military branches

no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,945 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,620 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

none

NAVASSA ISLAND