Nauru

republic

Nauru as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 66 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

Capitalno capital city as such
Area21 km2
1991

Every edition of Nauru

Populationas each edition published it
9,333 people July 1991 · 9,202 in 1990
Population growth% a year
Not in this edition 1.42% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.6 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 66.68 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.1 children per woman 1991 · 2.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
41 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 41 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
Not in this edition $10,000 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 8% in 2015

Geography

10 fields
Total area
21km2
land area: 21 km2Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

30 km 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

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 Ocean--the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia

People

14 fields
Population
9,333
(July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth
19Death
5

Ethnic divisions

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

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

noun--Nauruan(s); adjective--Nauruan

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%)

Government

Republic

16 fields

Parliament, 18 seats, elected 9 December 1989one dot, one seat

independents 18

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Executive branch

president, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)

Suffrage

  • universal and compulsory at age 20 President--last held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992);
  • results--Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament;
  • Parliament--last held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992);
  • results--percent 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);
  • US--the 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

Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000.

16 fields
External debt
$33.3million

Budget

Revenues
$69.7 millionExpenditures
$51.5 million
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)

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)

Exports

  • $93 million (f.o.b., 1984);
  • commodities--phosphates;
  • partners--Australia, NZ

Imports

  • $73 million (c.i.f., 1984);
  • commodities--food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery;
  • partners--Australia, UK, NZ, Japan

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 (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (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

7 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger-cargo 1bulk 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,261 GRT/39,838 DWT

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

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;
  • stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV;
  • 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

No regular armed forces; Directorate of the Nauru Police Force

3 fields

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Nauru.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nauru/1991.

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