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  Nauru  
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2003
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003.


This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003


Map of Nauru

Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Nauru
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Nauru
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Oceania
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 21 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
30 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
phosphates, fish
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
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
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
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
   People    Nauru
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12,570 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
total: 19.6 years
male: 19.3 years
female: 20 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.9% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
26.09 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 10.33 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 13 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 61.95 years
male: 58.41 years
female: 65.66 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
   Government    Nauru
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
29 January 1968
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
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:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
Nauru does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a UN office at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, New York 10017; telephone: (212) 937-0074
consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Nauru
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $60 million (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-3.6% (1993)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0%
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $23.4 million
expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 95/96)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
30 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
27.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
coconuts
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$27 million f.o.b. (1995)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
phosphates
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
India 46.1%, South Korea 18.3%, Australia 10.6%, New Zealand 7.8%, Netherlands 5.6% (2002)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$33 million c.i.f. (1995)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Australia 59.3%, US 10.1%, Ireland 7.6%, Malaysia 6% (2002)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$33.3 million
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
AUD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2641 (2002) 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 July - 30 June
   Communications    Nauru
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
450 (1994)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.nr
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
1 (2000)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    Nauru
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 5 km
note: gauge unknown; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast (2001)
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 30 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Nauru
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
none (2002 est.)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
   Military    Nauru
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 3,190 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 1,762 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia
   Transnational Issues    Nauru
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
broad-based money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003


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