Country name conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island 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 Area total: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 21 sq km Area - comparative about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC Coastline 30 km Climate tropical; monsoonal; 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 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 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 12,570 (July 2003 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 38.9% (male 2,517; female 2,368)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 3,681; female 3,779)
65 years and over: 1.8% (male 116; female 109) (2003 est.) Median age total: 19.6 years
male: 19.3 years
female: 20 years (2002) 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.) 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 Internet country code .nr Literacy definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA% Government type republic National holiday Independence Day, 31 January (1968) Legal system acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO Economy - overview Revenues of this tiny island have come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted within a few years. Phosphate production has declined since 1989, as demand has fallen in traditional markets and as the marginal cost of extracting the remaining phosphate increases, making it less internationally competitive. While phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World, few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, including fresh water from Australia. 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. The government has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. 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. Tens of billions of dollars have been channeled through their accounts. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru"s GDP varying widely. Exports - partners India 46.1%, South Korea 18.3%, Australia 10.6%, New Zealand 7.8%, Netherlands 5.6% (2002) Currency Australian dollar (AUD) Currency code AUD Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2641 (2002) 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) Airports 1 (2002) Airports - with paved runways total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) Airports - with unpaved runways Disputes - international none |
