2015 Edition

Background

The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it 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 independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.

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

Coastline

30 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

unnamed elevation along plateau rim 61 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; a century of intensive phosphate mining beginning in 1906 - mainly by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - 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

Geographic coordinates

0 32 S, 166 55 E

Geography - note

world's smallest island country; situated just 53 km south of the Equator; 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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 0%; permanent crops 20%; permanent pasture 0%

agricultural land

20%

forest

0%

other

80% (2011 est.)

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

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

Natural resources

phosphates, fish

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

32.45% (male 1,360/female 1,736)

15-24 years

16.13% (male 785/female 754)

25-54 years

43.19% (male 2,059/female 2,061)

55-64 years

6.11% (male 231/female 352)

65 years and over

2.12% (male 78/female 124) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

24.95 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.8% (2007)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

35.6% (2007)

Death rate

5.87 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 96.5% of population

total: 96.5% of population

urban: 3.5% of population

total: 3.5% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

6.3% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

6.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

10.34 deaths/1,000 live births

total

8.07 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes I-Kiribati 2% and Chinese 2%)

note

percentages represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.19 years (2015 est.)

male

62.64 years

total population

66.75 years

Median age

female

25.3 years (2015 est.)

male

26.1 years

total

25.7 years

Nationality

adjective

Nauruan

noun

Nauruan(s)

Net migration rate

-13.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

45.1% (2014)

Physicians density

0.71 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

9,540 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.55% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant 60.4% (includes Nauru Congregational 35.7%, Assembly of God 13%, Nauru Independent Church 9.5%, Baptist 1.5%, and Seventh Day Adventist .7%), Roman Catholic 33%, other 3.7%, none 1.8%, unspecified 1.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 65.6% of population

total: 65.6% of population

urban: 34.4% of population

total: 34.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2008)

male

9 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

0.78 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.66 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.63 male(s)/female

at birth

0.83 male(s)/female

total population

0.9 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.88 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2015)

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

time difference

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

Constitution

effective 29 January 1968; amended 1968, 2009, 2014 (2015)

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

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 Marlene Inemwin MOSES (since 10 February 2006)

consulate(s)

Agana (Guam)

FAX

[1] (212) 937-0079

telephone

[1] (212) 937-0074

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament

chief of state

President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Baron WAQA reelected president on 11 June 2013; Parliament vote - Baron WAQA (independent) 13, Roland KUN (Nauru First) 5

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 3-year renewable term; election last held on 11 June 2013 (next to be held in 2016)

head of government

President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013)

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; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean, 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-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICCt, IFAD, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 1 judge)

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the president to serve until age 65

subordinate courts

District Court, Family Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral parliament (19 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote; members serve 3-year terms)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 19

elections

last held on 8 June 2013 (next to be held in 2016)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS

name

"Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru)

note

adopted 1968

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

National symbol(s)

frigatebird, calophyllum flower; national colors: blue, yellow, white

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]

Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party

Nauru Party (informal)

note

loose multiparty system

Political pressure groups and leaders

Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues)

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture - products

coconuts

Budget

expenditures

$51.8 million (2010 est.)

revenues

$57.8 million

Debt - external

$33.3 million (2004 est.)

Economy - overview

Revenues of this tiny island - a coral atoll with a land area of 21 square kilometers - traditionally have come from exports of phosphates. Few other resources exist, with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. Primary reserves of phosphates were exhausted and mining ceased in 2006, but mining of a deeper layer of "secondary phosphate" in the interior of the island began the following year. The secondary phosphate deposits may last another 30 years. Earnings from Nauru’s export of phosphate remains an important source of income. 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. Although revenue sources for government are limited, the opening of the Australian Regional Processing Center for asylum seekers since 2012 has sparked growth in the economy. Revenue derived from fishing licenses under the vessel day scheme has also boosted government income. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant are deteriorating. The cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continues to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Exchange rates

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

1.1094 (2014 est.)

1.0358 (2013 est.)

0.97 (2012 est.)

0.9695 (2011 est.)

1.0902 (2010)

Exports

$125 million (2013 est.)

$110.3 million (2012 est.)

Exports - commodities

phosphates

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

6.1%

industry

33%

services

60.8% (2009 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,800 (2015 est.)

$13,700 (2014 est.)

$12,500 (2013 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

8% (2015 est.)

10% (2014 est.)

4.5% (2013 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$150.8 million (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$150.8 million (2015 est.)

$139.7 million (2014 est.)

$127 million (2013 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$143.1 million (2013 est.)

$41.2 million (2012 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8% (2015 est.)

5% (2015 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

note

most of the labor force is employed in phosphate mining, public administration, education, and transportation

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

23% (2011 est.)

90% (2004 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

168,700 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

23.25 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

6,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

25 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,075 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

1 government-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand sent via satellite or on videotape; 1 government-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, utilizes Australian and British programs (2009)

Internet country code

.nr

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment

adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities

international

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

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

0

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

73 (2012)

total

6,800

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Nauru

Roadways

paved

24 km

total

30 km

unpaved

6 km (2002)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

2,542 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

2,034 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,823

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

78 (2010 est.)

male

74

Military - note

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

Military branches

no regular military forces (2012)

Disputes - international

none