Nauru
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues
Introduction	Back To Top
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	Back To Top
Land boundaries: 0 km 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 Climate: tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) Map references: Australia/Oceania Geographic coordinates: 0 32 S, 166 55 E Natural resources: phosphates, fish Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center 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 Area: total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands Coastline: 30 km Area - comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC Irrigated land: NA 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 Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Natural hazards: periodic droughts Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
People	Back To Top
Total fertility rate: 2.94 children born/woman (2008 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.81 years male: 60.2 years female: 67.6 years (2008 est.) Literacy: NA Net migration rate: NA (2008 est.) Ethnic groups: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% Median age: total: 21.3 years male: 20.7 years female: 21.9 years (2008 est.) Population: 13,770 (July 2008 est.) Education expenditures: NA Population growth rate: 1.772% (2008 est.) Languages: Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes Death rate: 6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) Infant mortality rate: total: 9.43 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 9 years (2006) Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.5% (male 2,492/female 2,393) 15-64 years: 62.5% (male 4,237/female 4,363) 65 years and over: 2.1% (male 148/female 137) (2008 est.) Birth rate: 24.26 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) Religions: Nauru Congregational 35.4%, Roman Catholic 33.2%, Nauru Independent Church 10.4%, other 14.1%, none 4.5%, unspecified 2.4% (2002 census) Nationality: noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan
Government	Back To Top
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru National holiday: Independence Day, 31 January (1968) Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory Government type: republic Political pressure groups and leaders: Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues) Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marlene I. MOSES 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) International organization participation: ACP, ADB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 26 April 2008 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18; note - President Marcus STEPHEN called a snap election to break a parliamentary stalemate blocking legislative action Legal system: acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations 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 Independence: 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) Country name (Goverment): conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru local long form: Republic of Nauru local short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; note - loose multiparty system Capital: no official capital; government offices in Yaren District time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) Constitution: 29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day) 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 Administrative divisions: 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Economy	Back To Top
Electricity - consumption: 28.83 million kWh (2006 est.) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.) Debt - external: $33.3 million (2002) Unemployment rate: 90% (2004 est.) Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2005) GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,000 (2005 est.) GDP (purchasing power parity): $60 million (2005 est.) GDP (official exchange rate): $NA Exchange rates: Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004) GDP - real growth rate: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): -3.6% (1993) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% Oil - imports: 1,049 bbl/day (2005) Exports: $64,000 f.o.b. (2005 est.) Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2007 est.) Currency (code): Australian dollar (AUD) 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. Reserves of phosphates may only last until 2010 at current mining rates. 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. Nauru lost further revenue in 2008 with the closure of Australia's refugee processing center, making it almost totally dependent on food imports and foreign aid. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant is deteriorating, and 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. Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2007 est.) Imports - commodities: food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery Industries: phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.) Population below poverty line: NA% Electricity - production: 31 million kWh (2006 est.) Imports: $20 million c.i.f. (2004 est.) Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) Labor force - by occupation: note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation (1992) Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) Oil - consumption: 1,070 bbl/day (2006 est.) Currency code: AUD Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Exports - commodities: phosphates Economic aid - recipient: $20 million mostly from Australia (2005) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2007 est.) Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2007 est.) Budget: revenues: $13.5 million expenditures: $13.5 million (2005) Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Communications	Back To Top
Internet users: 300 (2002) Telephones - main lines in use: 1,900 (2002) Televisions: 500 (1997) Internet country code: .nr Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 7,000 (1997) Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,500 (2002) Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997) 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) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000) Internet hosts: 42 (2008)
Transportation	Back To Top
Ports and terminals: Nauru Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) Roadways: total: 24 km paved: 24 km (2002) Airports: 1 (2007)
Military	Back To Top
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 3,470 (2008 est.) Military - note: Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia Military branches: no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force (2009) Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: male: 173 female: 159 (2008 est.) Military expenditures: NA
Transnational Issues	Back To Top
Disputes - international: none

Got something to say on this page? Feel free to post your comments ! Please limit your comments to discussions about the subject matter of the content. To report bugs or problems with the ExchangeRate.com web site, please use our contact form here. Thank You!