Map of Nauru | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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. 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 independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.


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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
Total: 21 km²
Rank: 238
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
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
Extremes 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

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: 14,019 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 222
Growth rate: 1.748% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 77
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Nauruan
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: Nauru Congregational 35.4% Roman Catholic 33.2% Nauru Independent Church 10.4% other 14.1% none 4.5% unspecified 2.4% (2002 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.7%
15-64 years: 63.2% (male 4,362/female 4,495)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 151/female 145) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 21.6 years
Male: 21 years
Female: 22.2 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.748% (2009 est.)
Rank: 77

Birth rate: 23.9 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 73

Death rate: 6.42 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 150

Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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 NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.25 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 154
Male: 11.58 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.8 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.2 years
Rank: 168
Male: 60.58 years
Female: 68.01 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.85 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 78

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 8 years
Female: 9 years (2006)

Youth unemployment


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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

Dependent areas

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

Legal system: acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Marcus STEPHEN ; 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 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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; note - loose multiparty system

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 Marlene I. MOSES
In the us chancery: 800 2nd Avenue Suite 400 D New York NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074
In the us fax: [1] (212) 937-0079
In the us consulate: Agana (Guam)
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 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. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $60 million (2005 est.)
Rank: 221

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $5,000 (2005 est.)
Rank: 140

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

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

Agriculture products: coconuts

Industries: phosphate mining offshore banking coconut products

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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

Unemployment rate: 90% (2004 est.)
Rank: 200

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $13.5 million
Expenditures: $13.5 million (2005)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

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: $64,000 (2005 est.)
Rank: 221
Commodities: phosphates

Imports: $20 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 215
Commodities: food fuel manufactures building materials machinery

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $33.3 million
Rank: 195

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.) 1.2137 (2007) 1.3285 (2006) 1.3095 (2005) 1.3598 (2004)


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Electricity
Production: 31 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 202
Consumption: 28.83 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 202
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 144
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 144
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 141
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 106
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 151

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1800 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 225
Mobile cellular: 1500 (2002)
Mobile cellular rank: 217

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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .nr
Hosts: 47 (2009)
Hosts rank: 209

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 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 (2009)
Rank: 228
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 24 km
Rank: 217
Paved: 24 km (2002)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Nauru


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs