Statistical information Nauru 1999Nauru

Map of Nauru | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year:  | More stats

Nauru in the World
Nauru in the World

Muck Boots


Nauru - Introduction 1999
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Background: Nauru's phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium; the island was occupied by Australian forces in World War I. Upon achieving independence in 1968 Nauru became the smallest independent republic in the world; it joined the UN in 1999.


Nauru - Geography 1999
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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 referenceOceania

Area
Total: 21 km²
Land: 21 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 30 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; monsoonal; 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
Extremes highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

Natural resources: phosphates
Land use

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: NA%
Other: 100% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

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


Nauru - People 1999
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Population: 10,605 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Nauruan(s)
Adjective: Nauruan

Ethnic groups: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%

Languages: Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes

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

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: NA

Death rate: 0 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years_mainly by a UK, Australia, and New Zealand consortium_has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Nauru - Government 1999
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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
Conventional short form: Nauru
Former: Pleasant Island

Government 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

Dependent areas

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: acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
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 17 June 1998 (next to be held NA 2001)
Election results: Bernard DOWIYOGO elected president; percent of Parliament vote_NA
Note: former President Kinza CLODUMAR was deposed in a no-confidence vote

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
Elections: last held 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2000)
Election results: percent of vote_NA; seats_independents 18

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Nauru does not have an embassy in the US
In the us consulates: Hagatna (Guam)
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Flag descriptionflag of Nauru: 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Nauru - Economy 1999
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Economy overview: Revenues come from exports of phosphates, but reserves 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, thus 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. The government also has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has called a freezing of wages, a reduction of over-staffed public service departments, privatization of numerous government agencies, and closure of some overseas consulates.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $10,000 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: coconuts

Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education and transportation
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 0%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $23.4 million
Expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY95/96)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodities: phosphates
Partners: Australia, NZ

Imports: $21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991)
Commodities: food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
Partners: Australia, UK, NZ, Japan

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $33.3 million

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1: 1.5853 (January 1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994)


Nauru - Energy 1999
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Electricity
Production: 32 million kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 32 million kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Nauru - Communication 1999
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Telephones: 2,000 (1989 est.)

Telephone system: adequate local and international radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Nauru - Military 1999
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Nauru - Transportation 1999
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: total:3.9 km; note_used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


Nauru - Transnational issues 1999
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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


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