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| 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. |
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| Geography |
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| Location: | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands |
| Geographic coordinates: | 0 32 S, 166 55 E |
| Map references: | Oceania |
| Area: | total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area—comparative: | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 30 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) |
| Terrain: | sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m |
| Natural resources: | phosphates, fish |
| Land use: | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | periodic droughts |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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| People |
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| Population: | 13,528 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 36.4% (male 2,508/female 2,410)
15-64 years: 61.6% (male 4,111/female 4,224)
65 years and over: 2% (male 144/female 131) (2007 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 21 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 21.5 years (2007 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.781% (2007 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 24.47 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.099 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.07 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 63.44 years
male: 59.85 years
female: 67.21 years (2007 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS—adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS—people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS—deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan |
| Ethnic groups: | Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% |
| Religions: | Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) |
| Languages: | Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes |
| Literacy: | definition: NA
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA |
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| Government |
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| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
local long form: Republic of Nauru
local short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren |
| Independence: | 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 31 January (1968) |
| Constitution: | 29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day) |
| Legal system: | acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| Suffrage: | 20 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Marcus STEPHEN (since 19 December 2007); note – the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Marcus STEPHEN (since 19 December 2007); note – President Ludwig SCOTTY defeated in a no confidence vote in parliament on 19 December 2007
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 19 December 2007 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: NA |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 25 August 2007 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote – NA; seats – independents 18; note – 15 of 18 incumbents reelected |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court |
| Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; note – loose multiparty system |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, ADB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Vinci Niel CLODUMAR
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074
FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079
consulate(s): Agana (Guam) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to 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 |
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| Economy |
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| 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. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $60 million (2005 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $NA |
| GDP—real growth rate: | NA% |
| GDP—per capita (PPP): | $5,000 (2005 est.) |
| GDP—composition by sector: | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
| Labor force—by occupation: | note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation (1992) |
| Unemployment rate: | 90% (2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | -3.6% (1993) |
| Budget: | revenues: $13.5 million
expenditures: $13.5 million (2005) |
| Agriculture—products: | coconuts |
| Industries: | phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity—production: | 30 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity—consumption: | 27.9 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity—exports: | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity—imports: | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Oil—production: | 0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
| Oil—consumption: | 1,050 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
| Oil—exports: | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil—imports: | 1,023 bbl/day (2004) |
| Oil—proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural gas—production: | 0 cu m (2005 est.) |
| Natural gas—consumption: | 0 cu m (2005 est.) |
| Natural gas—exports: | 0 cu m (2005 est.) |
| Natural gas—imports: | 0 cu m (2005) |
| Natural gas—proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Exports: | $64,000 f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
| Exports—commodities: | phosphates |
| Exports—partners: | South Africa 63.7%, South Korea 7.6%, Canada 6.6% (2006) |
| 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% (2006) |
| Debt—external: | $33.3 million (2002) |
| Economic aid—recipient: | $20 million mostly from Australia (2005) |
| Currency (code): | Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Exchange rates: | Australian dollars per US dollar – 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 July – 30 June |
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| Communications |
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| Telephones—main lines in use: | 1,900 (2002) |
| Telephones—mobile cellular: | 1,500 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: country code – 674; satellite earth station – 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .nr |
| Internet hosts: | 53 (2007) |
| Internet users: | 300 (2002) |
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| Transportation |
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| Airports: | 1 (2007) |
| Airports—with paved runways: | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
| Roadways: | total: 30 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.) |
| Ports and terminals: | Nauru |
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| Military |
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| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force (2008) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 2,874 (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures—percent of GDP: | NA |
| Military—note: | Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia |
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| Transnational Issues |
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| Disputes—international: | none |
