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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
- Map references:
- Oceania
- Area:
- total area:
- 21 sq km
- land area:
- 21 sq km
- comparative area:
- about one-tenth the size of Washington, DC
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 30 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
- Terrain:
- sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate
- plateau in center
- Natural resources:
- phosphates
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 0%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 0%
- forest and woodland:
- 0%
- other:
- 100%
- Irrigated land:
- NA sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater;
- phosphate mining threatens limited remaining land resources
- natural hazards:
- periodic droughts
- international agreements:
- party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping; signed, but not
- ratified - Law of the Sea
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 10,149 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- NA
- 15-64 years:
- NA
- 65 years and over:
- NA
- Population growth rate:
- 1.33% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 18.03 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 66.68 years
- male:
- 64.3 years
- female:
- 69.18 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 2.08 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Nauruan(s)
- adjective:
- Nauruan
- Ethnic divisions:
- 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:
- NA%
- Labor force:
- by occupation:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Nauru
- conventional short form:
- Nauru
- former:
- Pleasant Island
- Digraph:
- NR
- Type:
- republic
- Capital:
- no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
- 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, New Zealand, and UK-administered UN
- trusteeship)
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
- Constitution:
- 29 January 1968
- Legal system:
- own Acts of Parliament and British common law
- Suffrage:
- 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
- Executive branch:
- chief of state and head of government:
- President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989); election last held 19
- November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995); results - Bernard DOWIYOGO
- elected by Parliament
- cabinet:
- Cabinet; appointed by the president from the parliament
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- Parliament:
- elections last held on 14 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995);
- results - percent of vote NA; seats - (18 total) independents 18
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- none
- Member of:
- AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU,
- SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UPU
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- consulate(s):
- Agana (Guam)
- US diplomatic representation:
- the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
- Flag:
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- Economy
-
-
- Overview:
- Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are
- expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans
- one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World. Few other
- resources exist, so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water
- from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of
- income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts
- of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the
- transition.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power parity - $100 million (1993 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- NA%
- National product per capita:
- $10,000 (1993 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- NA%
- Unemployment rate:
- 0%
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $69.7 million
- expenditures:
- $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986 est.)
- Exports:
- $93 million (f.o.b., 1984)
- commodities:
- phosphates
- partners:
- Australia, NZ
- Imports:
- $73 million (c.i.f., 1984)
- commodities:
- food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
- partners:
- Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
- External debt:
- $33.3 million
- Industrial production:
- growth rate NA%
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 14,000 kW
- production:
- 30 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 3,036 kWh (1993)
- Industries:
- phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products
- Agriculture:
- coconuts; other agricultural activity negligible; almost completely
- dependent on imports for food and water
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $2 million
- Currency:
- 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- Economy
- Exchange rates:
- Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994),
- 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991), 1.2799 (1990)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 July - 30 June
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- Transportation
-
-
- Railroads:
- total:
- 3.9 km; note - used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to
- processing facilities on the southwest coast
- Highways:
- 27 km
- paved:
- 21 km
- unpaved:
- improved earth 6 km
- Ports:
- Nauru
- Merchant marine:
- none
- Airports:
- total:
- 1
- with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
- 1
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 1,600 telephones; adequate local and international radio communications
- provided via Australian facilities
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
- radios:
- 4,000
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- 0
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Nauru
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
- Defense expenditures:
- $NA; note - no formal defense structure
-