2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 37.5% (male 2,511/female 2,379) 15-64 years: 60.6% (male 3,895/female 4,012) 65 years and over: 1.9% (male 132/female 119) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts

Airports

1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) 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

25.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

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

revenues

$23.4 million

Capital

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

Climate

tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline

30 km

Constitution

29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Nauru

conventional short form

Nauru

former

Pleasant Island

Currency (code)

Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code

AUD

Death rate

6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$33.3 million (2002)

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)

Agana (Guam)

Disputes - international

none

Economic aid - recipient

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

Economy - overview

Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are now depleted. Few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. 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. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds, the government faces virtual bankruptcy. 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. In 2004 the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat has substantially mounted. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Electricity - consumption

27.9 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (2002)

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 - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament

chief of state

President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 26 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Ludwig SCOTTY was unopposed in the parliamentary elections for president

elections

president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2007)

head of government

President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 26 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Exports

$640,000 f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

phosphates

Exports - partners

South Africa 43.4%, Germany 20.7%, India 11.8%, Japan 7.2%, Poland 4% (2004)

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 - composition by sector

agriculture

NA

industry

NA

services

NA

GDP - per capita

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

GDP - real growth rate

NA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$60 million (2001 est.)

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

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Illicit drugs

offshore banking recently stopped, remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$19.8 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Imports - partners

Australia 65.6%, Indonesia 5.4%, Germany 5.3%, UK 4.4% (2004)

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

7.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

12.51 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.95 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-3.6% (1993)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.nr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

300 (2002) Transportation Nauru

Irrigated land

NA

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% (2001)

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

66.48 years (2005 est.)

male

59.16 years

total population

62.73 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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 2,874 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,963 (2005 est.)

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

20.78 years (2005 est.)

male

19.76 years

total

20.24 years

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

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 (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

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

13,048 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Population growth rate

1.83% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Nauru

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

7,000 (1997)

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: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

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

country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

1,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,500 (2002)

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

3.19 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

90% (2004 est.)