Airports [time series]

1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

3 major transport aircraft, one on order

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth

Merchant marine [time series]

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,261 GRT/39,838 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 2 bulk

Ports [time series]

Nauru

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

no formal defense structure

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water

Budget [time series]

revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries (1970-1988), $2 million

Electricity [time series]

14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$93 million (f.o.b., 1984); commodities--phosphates; partners--Australia, NZ

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$33.3 million

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July-30 June

GNP [time series]

over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)

Imports [time series]

$73 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities--food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery; partners--Australia, UK, NZ, Japan

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

NA%

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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--$10,000 annually. 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 constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition.

Unemployment rate [time series]

0%

Climate [time series]

tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline [time series]

30 km Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

only 53 km south of Equator

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

Natural resources [time series]

phosphates

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

21 km2; land area: 21 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District

Constitution [time series]

29 January 1968

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador-designate Theodore Conrad MOSES resident in Melbourne (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam); US--the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru

Executive branch [time series]

president, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)

Legal system [time series]

own Acts of Parliament and British common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Parliament

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Nauru

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none

Suffrage [time series]

universal and compulsory at age 20 President--last held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results--Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament; Parliament--last held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(18 total) independents 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Birth rate [time series]

19 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

41 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Languages (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

64 years male, 69 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Nauruan(s); adjective--Nauruan

Net migration rate [time series]

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

NA

Population [time series]

9,333 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.1 children born/woman (1991)