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. Nauru achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999. Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic.

Geographic coordinates: 0 32 S 166 55 E

Map reference: Oceania

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 30 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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 fish

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

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

Population: 12,570 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)
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: Christian (two-thirds Protestant one-third Roman Catholic)

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.9% (male 2,517; female 2,368)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 3,681; female 3,779)
65 years and over: 1.8% (male 116; female 109) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.6 years
Male: 19.3 years
Female: 20 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 26.09 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 7.08 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 10.33 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.52 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 13 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.95 years
Male: 58.41 years
Female: 65.66 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

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

Independence: 31 January 1968 (from the Australia- NZ- 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

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Rene HARRIS (since 8 August 2003) note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 29 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2006)
Note: Ludwig SCOTTY was removed from the presidency in a no-confidence vote 8 August 2003; Rene HARRIS became president
Election results: Ludwig SCOTTY elected president 29 May 2003; Ludwig SCOTTY 10 parliamentary votes, Kinza CLODUMAR 7
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament
Head of government: President Rene HARRIS (since 8 August 2003) note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held not later than May 2006)
Election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Nauru First Party 3, independents 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

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

International organization participation: ACP AsDB C ESCAP FAO ICAO ICCt Interpol IOC ITU OPCW Sparteca SPC SPF UN UNESCO UPU WHO

Diplomatic representation
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 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

Economy overview: Revenues of this tiny island have come from exports of phosphates but reserves are expected to be exhausted within a few years. Phosphate production has declined since 1989 as demand has fallen in traditional markets and as the marginal cost of extracting the remaining phosphate increases making it less internationally competitive. While phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World few other resources exist with most necessities being imported including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits substantial amounts of phosphate income have been invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. The government has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has called for a freeze on 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. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.)

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: employed in mining phosphates public administration education and transportation

Unemployment rate: 0%

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $23.4 million
Expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 95/96)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: -3.6% (1993)

Exports: $27 million f.o.b. (1995)
Commodities: phosphates
Partners: India 46.1% South Korea 18.3% Australia 10.6% New Zealand 7.8% Netherlands 5.6% (2002)

Imports: $33 million c.i.f. (1995)
Commodities: food fuel manufactures building materials machinery
Partners: Australia 59.3% US 10.1% Ireland 7.6% Malaysia 6% (2002)

Debt external: $33.3 million

Exchange rates: Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2641 (2002) 1.9320 (2001) 1.7173 (2000) 1.5497 (1999) 1.5888 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 30 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 27.9 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2000 (1996)
Mobile cellular: 450 (1994)

Telephone system
General assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .nr
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: NA

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 1 (2002)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2002)

Railways
Total: 5 km
Note: gauge unknown; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast (2001)

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: broad-based money-laundering center