The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Nauru

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Nauru

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Map

Location: 0 32 S, 166 55 E -- Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

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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

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Geography

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 area: 21 sq km
land area: 21 sq km
comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 30 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Natural resources: phosphates
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater; phosphate mining threatens limited remaining land resources
natural hazards: periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea
Geographic 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

Population: 10,273 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 1.33% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 18.03 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
all ages: NA male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: 40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.68 years
male: 64.3 years
female: 69.18 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan
Ethnic divisions: 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: NA

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island
Data code: NR
Type of government: 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-, New Zealand-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Constitution: 29 January 1968
Legal system: acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Lagumot HARRIS (since 22 November 1995) was elected by Parliament; election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president from among members of Parliament
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament: election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (18 total) independents 18
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: none
International organization participation: AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: Nauru does not have an embassy in the US
US diplomatic representation: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
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

Economy

Economic 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. 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 are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition. However, dividends from the trusts have declined sharply since 1990 and the government has been borrowing from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $100 million (1993 est.)
GDP real growth rate: NA%
GDP per capita: $10,000 (1993 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): -3.6% (1993)
Labor force:
by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget:
revenues: $23.8 million
expenditures: $69.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)
Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 14,000 kW
production: 30 million kWh
consumption per capita: 3,036 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: coconuts predominate
Exports: $25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities: phosphates
partners: Australia, NZ
Imports: $21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities: food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
partners: Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
External debt: $33.3 million
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3477 (January 1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Transportation

Railways:
total: 3.9 km; note - used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
Highways:
total: 27 km
paved: 21 km
unpaved: 6 km (1986 est.)
Ports: Nauru
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total: 1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 2,000 (1989 est.)
Telephone system: adequate local and international radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 4,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1986 est.)
Televisions: NA

Defense

Branches: no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: NA
males fit for military service: NA
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

Nauru

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).