Airports [time series]

total: 1 useable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,426 GRT/5,750 DWT

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

Affiliation [time series]

(territory of the US)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Directorate of the Nauru Police Force note: no regular armed forces

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA - no formal defense structure

Manpower availability [time series]

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

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

coconuts; other agricultural activity 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]

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $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 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988)

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

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, coconut products

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

NA%

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $90 million (1989 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$10,000 (1989 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [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 are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition.

Unemployment rate [time series]

0%

Area [time series]

total area: 21 km2 land area: 21 km2 comparative area: about one-tenth the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline [time series]

30 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

only 53 km south of Equator

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

Oceania, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea

Map references [time series]

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

no official capital; government offices in Yaren

Constitution [time series]

29 January 1968

Digraph [time series]

NR

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

there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam)

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 19 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995); results - Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament Parliament: last held on 14 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (18 total) independents 18

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)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

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

none

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru

Birth rate [time series]

18.92 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

by occupation: NA

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 66.68 years male: 64.3 years female: 69.18 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan

Net migration rate [time series]

0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

9,882 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.42% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.2 children born/woman (1993 est.)