Edition 2003 — Nauru — World Factbook

Administrative divisions

14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Age structure

0-14 years: 38.9% (male 2,517; female 2,368) 15-64 years: 59.3% (male 3,681; female 3,779) 65 years and over: 1.8% (male 116; female 109) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts

Airports

1 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) Military Nauru

Area

land: 21 sq km
total: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

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. Nauru achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999. Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic. Geography Nauru

Birth rate

26.09 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 95/96)
revenues: $23.4 million

Capital

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

Climate

tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline

30 km

Constitution

29 January 1968

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code

AUD

Death rate

7.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$33.3 million

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 does have a UN office at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, New York 10017; telephone: (212) 937-0074
consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam)

Disputes - international

none

Economic aid - recipient

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

Economy - overview

Revenues of this tiny island have come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted within a few years. Phosphate production has declined since 1989, as demand has fallen in traditional markets and as the marginal cost of extracting the remaining phosphate increases, making it less internationally competitive. While phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World, few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income have been invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. The government has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has called for a freeze on 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. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Electricity - consumption

27.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

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 NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2641 (2002) 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament
chief of state: President Rene HARRIS (since 8 August 2003) note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
election results: Ludwig SCOTTY elected president 29 May 2003; Ludwig SCOTTY 10 parliamentary votes, Kinza CLODUMAR 7
elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 29 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2006)
head of government: President Rene HARRIS (since 8 August 2003) note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
note: Ludwig SCOTTY was removed from the presidency in a no-confidence vote 8 August 2003; Rene HARRIS became president

Exports

$27 million f.o.b. (1995)

Exports - commodities

phosphates

Exports - partners

India 46.1%, South Korea 18.3%, Australia 10.6%, New Zealand 7.8%, Netherlands 5.6% (2002)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June Communications Nauru

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 Economy Nauru

GDP

purchasing power parity - $60 million (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

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 People Nauru

Government type

republic

Highways

paved: 24 km
total: 30 km
unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%

Illicit drugs

broad-based money-laundering center This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$33 million c.i.f. (1995)

Imports - commodities

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Imports - partners

Australia 59.3%, US 10.1%, Ireland 7.6%, Malaysia 6% (2002)

Independence

31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

Infant mortality rate

female: 7.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 13 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 10.33 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-3.6% (1993)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Internet country code

.nr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

NA Transportation Nauru

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force - by occupation

employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 0%

Languages

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

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 - Nauru First Party 3, independents 15
elections: last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held not later than May 2006)

Life expectancy at birth

female: 65.66 years (2003 est.)
male: 58.41 years
total population: 61.95 years

Literacy

definition: NA
female: NA% Government Nauru
male: NA%
total population: NA%

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Median age

female: 20 years (2002)
male: 19.3 years
total: 19.6 years

Merchant marine

none (2002 est.)

Military - note

Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia Transnational Issues Nauru

Military branches

no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 3,190 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,762 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Nationality

adjective: Nauruan
noun: Nauruan(s)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

Natural resources

phosphates, fish

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

12,570 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1.9% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Nauru

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

7,000 (1997)

Railways

note: gauge unknown; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast (2001)
total: 5 km

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Telephone system

domestic: NA
general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular

450 (1994)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

500 (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

3.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

0%

Waterways