| NAURU GEOGRAPHY Total area: 21 km2; land area: 21 km2 Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 30 km Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February) Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center Natural resources: phosphates Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100% Environment: only 53 km south of Equator Note: Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Oceanthe others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia PEOPLE Population: 9,333 (July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991) Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 69 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: nounNauruan(s); adjectiveNauruan Ethnic divisions: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% Religion: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) Language: Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language (official); English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) Labor force: NA Organized labor: NA GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Nauru Type: republic Capital: no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District Administrative divisions: 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren Independence: 31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island Constitution: 29 January 1968 Legal system: own Acts of Parliament and British common law National holiday: Independence Day, 31 January (1968) Executive branch: president, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State and Head of GovernmentPresident Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989) Political parties and leaders: none Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 20 Elections: Presidentlast held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); resultsBernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament; Parliamentlast held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); resultspercent of vote NA; seats(18 total) independents 18 Member of: C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU Diplomatic representation: Ambassador-designate Theodore Conrad MOSES resident in Melbourne (Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam); USthe US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru Flag: 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 ECONOMY Overview: 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 constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition. GNP: over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA% Unemployment rate: 0% Budget: revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.) Exports: $93 million (f.o.b., 1984); commoditiesphosphates; partnersAustralia, NZ Imports: $73 million (c.i.f., 1984); commoditiesfood, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery; partnersAustralia, UK, NZ, Japan External debt: $33.3 million Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts Agriculture: negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries (1970-1988), $2 million Currency: Australian dollar (pluraldollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$11.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985) Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth Ports: Nauru Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,261 GRT/39,838 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 2 bulk Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, one on order Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radios; stations1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: no regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service Defense expenditures: no formal defense structure | |
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