Nauru

Internet country code

.nr

Internet users

300 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

1,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,500 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Agriculture - products

coconuts

Budget

revenues: $23.4 million expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY95/96)

Currency

Australian dollar (AUD)

Currency code

AUD

Debt - external

$33.3 million (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

$2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.) (2000 est.)

Economy - overview

Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are now depleted. 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. 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. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds, the government faces virtual bankruptcy. 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. In 2004 the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat has substantially mounted. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Electricity - consumption

27.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.2641 (2002) 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999)

Exports

$18 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

phosphates

Exports - partners

Japan 42.3%, India 38.5%, South Korea 7.7% (2003)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $60 million (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports

$31 million c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Imports - partners

Australia 67.9%, Indonesia 10.7%, US 7.1% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-3.6% (1993)

Labor force - by occupation

employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

Oil - consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

0% (2002 est.)

Area

total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline

30 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Geographic coordinates

0 32 S, 166 55 E

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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

Location

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

periodic droughts

Natural resources

phosphates, fish

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

Constitution

29 January 1968

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Diplomatic representation in the US

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)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 26 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 26 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government 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 23 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: Ludwig SCOTTY was unopposed in the parliamentary elections for president

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

Government type

republic

Independence

31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law

Legislative branch

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Political parties and leaders

loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

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.

Military - note

Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia

Military branches

no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 3,275 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,810 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 38.2% (male 2,516; female 2,372) 15-64 years: 60% (male 3,782; female 3,898) 65 years and over: 1.9% (male 128; female 113) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

25.61 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

6.95 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 10.14 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 62.33 years male: 58.78 years female: 66.06 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Median age

total: 19.9 years male: 19.5 years female: 20.4 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

12,809 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

1.87% (2004 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

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: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.29 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

offshore banking recently stopped, remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime

Airports

1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 30 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

Nauru