Map of Nauru | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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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 reference: Oceania

Area
Comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 30 km

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources: phosphates

Land use

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


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Population: 11,845 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.05% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.05% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 27.86 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 7.34 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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 New Zealand consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 10.9 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 3.71 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [Bernard DOWIYOGO]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Nauru does not have an embassy in the US but will open a UN office early in 2000 at 800 2nd Avenue New York New York
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Revenues of this tiny island come from exports of phosphates but reserves are expected to be exhausted in the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World with estimates of GDP varying widely. 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 for a freezing of wages a reduction of over-staffed public service departments privatization of numerous government agencies and closure of some overseas consulates. In recent years Nauru has encouraged the registration of offshore banks and corporations. Tens of billions of dollars have been channeled through their accounts.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coconuts

Industries: phosphate mining financial services coconut products

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
By occupation: employed in mining phosphates public administration education and transportation

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

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: -3.6% (1993)

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 - 1.5207 (January 2000) 1.5497 (1999) 1.5888 (1998) 1.3439 (1997) 1.2773 (1996) 1.3486 (1995)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 28 million kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 450 (1994)

Telephone system: adequate local and international radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $N/A
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs