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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.nr

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

47 (2009) country comparison to the world: 209

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities domestic: NA international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

1,800 (2008) country comparison to the world: 225

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

1,500 (2002) country comparison to the world: 217

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

coconuts

Budget [time series]

revenues: $13.5 million expenditures: $13.5 million (2005)

Debt - external [time series]

$33.3 million country comparison to the world: 195

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates now significantly depleted. An Australian company in 2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia its former occupier and later major source of support. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. Reserves of phosphates may only last until 2010 at current mining rates. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds, the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments. Nauru lost further revenue in 2008 with the closure of Australia's refugee processing center, making it almost totally dependent on food imports and foreign aid. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant is deteriorating. The cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continues to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

28.83 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 202

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

31 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 202

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.2059 (2008 est.), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004)

Exports [time series]

$64,000 (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 221

Exports - commodities [time series]

phosphates

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$NA

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

$60 million (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 221

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 (PPP)) [time series]

$5,000 (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

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]

$20 million (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 215

Imports - commodities [time series]

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

NA%

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation (1992)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 141

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 151

Oil - consumption [time series]

1,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 194

Oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 147

Oil - imports [time series]

1,026 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 190

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 148

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

90% (2004 est.) country comparison to the world: 200

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 21 sq km country comparison to the world: 238 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 with a monsoonal pattern; 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 NZ 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling 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]

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)

Location [time series]

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

periodic droughts

Natural resources [time series]

phosphates, fish

Terrain [time series]

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

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 time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968

Country name [time series]

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

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]

chief of mission: Ambassador Marlene I. MOSES chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074 FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079 consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Marcus STEPHEN (since 19 December 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Marcus STEPHEN (since 19 December 2007); note - President Ludwig SCOTTY defeated in a no confidence vote in parliament on 19 December 2007 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 19 December 2007 (next to be held in 2010) election results: NA

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-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, ADB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 26 April 2008 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18; note - President Marcus STEPHEN called a snap election to break a parliamentary stalemate blocking legislative action

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

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

Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; note - loose multiparty system

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

Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues)

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Introduction

Background [time series]

The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888. Its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 3,470 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 2,592 females age 16-49: 2,966 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

male: 179 female: 174 (2009 est.)

Military - note [time series]

Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia

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

no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force (2009)

Military expenditures [time series]

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 34.7% (male 2,482/female 2,384) 15-64 years: 63.2% (male 4,362/female 4,495) 65 years and over: 2.1% (male 151/female 145) (2009 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

23.9 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 73

Death rate [time series]

6.42 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 9.25 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 154 male: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 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: 64.2 years country comparison to the world: 168 male: 60.58 years female: 68.01 years (2009 est.)

Literacy [time series]

Median age [time series]

total: 21.6 years male: 21 years female: 22.2 years (2009 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan

Net migration rate [time series]

NA (2009 est.)

Population [time series]

14,019 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 222

Population growth rate [time series]

1.748% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 77

Religions [time series]

Nauru Congregational 35.4%, Roman Catholic 33.2%, Nauru Independent Church 10.4%, other 14.1%, none 4.5%, unspecified 2.4% (2002 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 9 years (2006)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.85 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 100% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Transportation

Airports [time series]

1 (2009) country comparison to the world: 228

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2009)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

Nauru

Roadways [time series]

total: 24 km country comparison to the world: 217 paved: 24 km (2002)