ARCHIVE // NR // 1996

Nauru

1996 Edition — sovereign

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Communications
Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]
no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force
Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]
$NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability [time series]
males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
4,000 (1993 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
adequate local and international radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
2,000 (1989 est.)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
0 (1986 est.)
Televisions [time series]
NA Defense
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
coconuts predominate
Budget [time series]
revenues: $23.8 million expenditures: $69.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $NA
Economic overview [time series]
Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World. Few other resources exist, so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition. However, dividends from the trusts have declined sharply since 1990 and the government has been borrowing from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits.
Electricity [time series]
capacity: 14,000 kW production: 30 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,036 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates [time series]
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3477 (January 1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991)
Exports [time series]
$25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: phosphates partners: Australia, NZ
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$33.3 million
Fiscal year [time series]
1 July - 30 June
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $100 million (1993 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]
$10,000 (1993 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Imports [time series]
$21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery partners: Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
-3.6% (1993)
Labor force [time series]
by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate [time series]
0%
Geography
Area [time series]
total area: 21 sq km land area: 21 sq km comparative area: about 0.1 times 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]
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 coordinates [time series]
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Geography - note (Geographic 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; only 53 km south of Equator
Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]
none
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
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, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources [time series]
phosphates
Terrain [time series]
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
Government
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 District
Constitution [time series]
29 January 1968
Data code [time series]
NR
Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]
Nauru does not have an embassy in the US
Executive branch [time series]
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
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 the Australia-, New Zealand-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
International organization participation [time series]
AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UPU, WHO
Judicial branch [time series]
Supreme Court
Legal system [time series]
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral
Country name (Name of country) [time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Legislative branch (Parliament) [time series]
election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (18 total) independents 18
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
none
Suffrage [time series]
20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Government type (Type of government) [time series]
republic
Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]
the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Birth rate [time series]
18.03 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate [time series]
5.1 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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 (1996 est.)
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 (1996 est.)
Literacy [time series]
NA
Nationality [time series]
noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan
Net migration rate [time series]
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Population [time series]
10,273 (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
1.33% (1996 est.)
Religions [time series]
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Sex ratio [time series]
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
Total fertility rate [time series]
2.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
total: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 (1995 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 27 km paved: 21 km unpaved: 6 km (1986 est.)
Merchant marine [time series]
none
Ports [time series]
Nauru
Railways [time series]
total: 3.9 km; note - used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast