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.
Geography ::Nauru
Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates:
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 21 sq km
country comparison to the world: 238
land:
21 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area - 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:
Current Weather
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
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
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts
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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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
People ::Nauru
Population:
14,264 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.1% (male 2,479/female 2,383)
15-64 years:
63.8% (male 4,478/female 4,616)
65 years and over:
2.2% (male 154/female 154) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22 years
male:
21.4 years
female:
22.6 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.711% (2010 est.)
Birth rate:
23.56 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Death rate:
6.45 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 100% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.049 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.08 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 156
male:
11.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
6.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.57 years
country comparison to the world: 166
male:
60.93 years
female:
68.39 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.77 children born/woman (2010 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective:
Nauruan
Ethnic groups:
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
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)
Languages:
Nauruan (official; a
distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken,
and used for most government and commercial purposes
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male:
8 years
female:
9 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Nauru
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)
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Marcus STEPHEN (since 19 December 2007); 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
was 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 on 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 on 19 June 2010 (next to be held in 2013)
Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; Nauru Party (informal); note - loose multiparty system
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues)
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, 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
chancery:
800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017
telephone:
[1] (212) 937-0074
FAX:
[1] (212) 937-0079
consulate(s):
Agana (Guam)
Diplomatic representation 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 ::Nauru
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60 million (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,000 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
NA%
Labor force - by occupation:
note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation (1992)
Unemployment rate:
90% (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
