Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

NA

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios [time series]

7,000 (1997)

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 - main lines in use) [time series]

2,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

450 (1994)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

500 (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

coconuts

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 (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Revenues of this tiny island come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted in the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World, with estimates of GDP varying widely. Few other resources exist, thus 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. The government also has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has called for a freezing of 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.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

28 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production [time series]

30 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.5207 (January 2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995)

Exports [time series]

$25.3 million (f.o.b., 1991)

Exports - commodities [time series]

phosphates

Exports - partners [time series]

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%

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$21.1 million (c.i.f., 1991)

Imports - commodities [time series]

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Imports - partners [time series]

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 - by occupation [time series]

employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

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, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly by a UK, Australia, and New Zealand consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources

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

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% 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

Capital [time series]

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

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, but will open a UN office early in 2000 at 800 2nd Avenue, New York, New York consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Rene HARRIS (since NA 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rene HARRIS (since NA 1999); 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 27 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Rene HARRIS elected president; percent of Parliament vote - NA note: former President Bernard DOWIYOGO was deposed in a no-confidence vote

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, ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, 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 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2000) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

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

loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [Bernard DOWIYOGO]

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Background [time series]

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. Upon achieving independence in 1968, Nauru became the smallest independent republic in the world; it joined the UN in 1999.

Military - note [time series]

Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, Australia is responsible for defense of the island

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: 2,945 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,620 (2000 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 40.99% (male 2,494; female 2,361) 15-64 years: 57.37% (male 3,383; female 3,413) 65 years and over: 1.64% (male 97; female 97) (2000 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

27.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate [time series]

7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

10.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 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: 60.84 years male: 57.35 years female: 64.5 years (2000 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population [time series]

11,845 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.05% (2000 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.71 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports [time series]

1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 30 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 6 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none (1999 est.)

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