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]

1 (1991 est.)

Televisions [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

coconuts predominate

Budget [time series]

revenues : $23.4 million expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Debt - external [time series]

$33.3 million

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.)

Economic overview (Economy - 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, but incomes probably will drop sharply in the future. 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 heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. In an effort to stem further escalation of fiscal problems, the FY96/97 budget calls for a freeze on government wages for two years, a reduction of over-staffed public service departments, drastic cutbacks in hiring new government staff, privatization of numerous government agencies, and closure of some overseas consulates.

Electricity - capacity [time series]

13,250 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita [time series]

NA kWh

Electricity - production [time series]

48 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.2835 (January 1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992)

Exports [time series]

total value: $25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: phosphates partners : Australia, NZ

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]

purchasing power parity - $10,000 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

NA%

Imports [time series]

total value: $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) (Inflation rate - consumer price index) [time series]

-3.6% (1993)

Labor force [time series]

by occupation : employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

Unemployment rate [time series]

0%

Area [time series]

total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)

Coastline [time series]

30 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point : Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater; phosphate mining threatens limited remaining land resources

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

0 32 S, 166 55 E

Geography - 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

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other : 100% (1993 est.)

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 hazards [time series]

periodic droughts

Natural resources [time series]

phosphates

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

Constitution [time series]

29 January 1968

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

NR

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

Nauru does not have an embassy in the US consulate(s) : Agana (Guam)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Kinza CLODUMAR (since 8 February 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government : President Kinza CLODUMAR (since 8 February 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2000) election results : Kinza CLODUMAR elected president; percent of Parliament vote - NA note: President CLODUMAR is the country's fifth president in five months

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic

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, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, 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 Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998) election results : percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18

Capital (National capital) [time series]

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

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

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$NA

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49 : NA

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males: NA

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

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 : NA years male: NA years female: NA years

Literacy [time series]

NA

Nationality [time series]

noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan

Population [time series]

10,390 (July 1997 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 total population: NA male(s)/female

Disputes - international [time series]

none NAVASSA ISLAND (territory of the US)

Airports [time series]

1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 28 km paved: 22 km unpaved: 6 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports (Ports and harbors) [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