| |
| |
 |
|
|
 |
National Map
Of |
Nauru |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Flag
Of |
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
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Nauru |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Anthem
Of |
Nauru |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Categories National Symbol Of |
Nauru |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
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
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:
|
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% (2001) |
|
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
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 |
|
Population:
|
13,048
(July 2005 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 37.5% (male 2,511/female 2,379)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 3,895/female 4,012)
65 years and over: 1.9% (male 132/female 119)
(2005 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
20.24 years
male: 19.76 years
female: 20.78 years (2005 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.83%
(2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
25.14
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
6.82
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
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: 1.11 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
9.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 62.73 years
male: 59.16 years
female: 66.48 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
3.19
children born/woman (2005 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:
|
Christian
(two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) |
|
Languages:
|
Nauruan
(official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English
widely understood, spoken, and used for most government
and commercial purposes |
|
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; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day)
|
|
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 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 |
|
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 |
|
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] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
ACP,
AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO |
|
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): 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 - 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. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$60
million (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
NA |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
employed
in mining phosphates, public administration, education,
and transportation |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
90% (2004
est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
-3.6%
(1993) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $23.4 million
expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (FY95/96) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
coconuts
|
|
Industries:
|
phosphate
mining, offshore banking, coconut products |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA |
|
Electricity - production:
|
30
million kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
27.9
million kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
1,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA |
|
Exports:
|
$640,000
f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
phosphates |
|
Exports - partners:
|
South
Africa 43.4%, Germany 20.7%, India 11.8%, Japan 7.2%,
Poland 4% (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
$19.8
million c.i.f. (2004 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
food,
fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Australia
65.6%, Indonesia 5.4%, Germany 5.3%, UK 4.4% (2004) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$33.3
million (2002) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$2.25
million from Australia (FY96/97 est.) |
|
Currency (code):
|
Australian dollar (AUD) |
|
Currency code:
|
AUD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419
(2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 July -
30 June |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
1,900
(2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
1,500
(2002) |
|
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) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 1, FM
0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
|
Radios:
|
7,000
(1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
1 (1997)
|
|
Televisions:
|
500
(1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.nr |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
1 (2000)
|
|
Internet users:
|
300
(2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
30 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Nauru
|
|
Airports:
|
1 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
no
regular military forces; Nauru Police Force |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 2,874 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 1,963 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
NA |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
NA |
|
Military - note:
|
Nauru
maintains no defense forces; under an informal
agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia
|
|
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 |
|
This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
