Nauru

Airports

1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft, one on order

Highways

about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth

Merchant marine

4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 39,597 GRT/50,729 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 2 bulk

Ports

Nauru

Railroads

3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast

Telecommunications

adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radio receivers; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Branches

no regular armed forces

Defense expenditures

no formal defense structure

Military manpower

males 15-49, 298,249; 176,660 fit for military service; 100 reach age 18 annually

Agriculture

negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water

Aid

none

Budget

revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)

Currency

Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Electricity

13,250 kW capacity; 48 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)

Exports

$93 million (f.o.b., 1984); commodities--phosphates; partners--Australia, NZ

External debt

$33.3 million

Fiscal year

1 July-30 June

GNP

over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)

Imports

$73 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities--food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery; partners--Australia, UK, NZ, Japan

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Overview

Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World--$10,000 annually. Few other resources exist so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition.

Unemployment rate

0%

Climate

tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline

30 km

Comparative area

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Environment

only 53 km south of Equator

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm;

Land boundaries

none

Land use

0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other

Natural resources

phosphates

Note

one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia)

Terrain

sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

21 km2; land area: 21 km2

Administrative divisions

14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Capital

no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District

Constitution

29 January 1968

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador T. W. STAR resides in Melbourne (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam); US--the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru

Executive branch

president, Cabinet

Flag

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

Independence

31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)

Legal system

own Acts of Parliament and British common law

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament

Long-form name

Republic of Nauru

Member of

Commonwealth (special member), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 20 President--last held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results--Bernard Dowiyogo elected by Parliament; Parliament--last held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(18 total) independents 18

Type

republic

Birth rate

20 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

58% Nauruan, 26% other Pacific Islander, 8% Chinese, 8% European

Infant mortality rate

41 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force

NA

Language

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

Life expectancy at birth

64 years male, 69 years female (1990)

Literacy

99%

Nationality

noun--Nauruan(s); adjective--Nauruan

Net migration rate

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

NA

Population

9,202 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1990)

Religion

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

Total fertility rate

2.3 children born/woman (1990)