2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 36.9% (male 2,507/female 2,391) 15-64 years: 61.2% (male 4,004/female 4,123) 65 years and over: 2% (male 139/female 123) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts

Airports

1 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

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

The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic. Geography Nauru

Birth rate

24.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$13.5 million (2005)

revenues

$13.5 million

Capital

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

time difference

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

local long form

Republic of Nauru

local short form

Nauru

Currency (code)

Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code

AUD

Death rate

6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 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

chancery

800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Vinci Niel CLODUMAR

telephone

[1] (212) 937-0074

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Economic aid - recipient

$20 million mostly from Australia (2005)

Economy - overview

Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian company in 2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining supplies. 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 were 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 frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments. In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Electricity - consumption

27.9 million kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (2004)

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, Whaling

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 - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament

chief of state

President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 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 22 June 2004)

Exports

$64,000 f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

phosphates

Exports - partners

South Africa 63.7%, South Korea 7.6%, Canada 6.6% (2005)

FAX

[1] (212) 937-0079

consulate(s)

Agana (Guam)

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 (PPP)

$5,000 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP (official exchange rate)

NA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$60 million (2005 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

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%

Imports

$20 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Imports - partners

South Korea 43.8%, Australia 36.2%, US 5.9%, Germany 4.3% (2005)

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

7.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

12.29 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.78 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 hosts

52 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

300 (2002) Transportation Nauru

Irrigated land

NA

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force - by occupation

note

0.1% employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0%

other

100% (2005)

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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 23 October 2004 (next to be held not later than 2007)

note

the president dissolved parliament on 30 September 2004 and set new elections for 23 October 2004

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.84 years (2006 est.)

male

59.5 years

total population

63.08 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.)

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

21.2 years (2006 est.)

male

20 years

total

20.6 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 (2005)

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 gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

Natural resources

phosphates, fish

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

13,287 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1.81% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Nauru Military Nauru

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

7,000 (1997)

Religions

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

Roadways

paved

24 km

total

30 km

unpaved

6 km (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 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

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

3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

90% (2004 est.)