Nauru

Republic of Nauru

republic

Nauru as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 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 official capital
Area21 km2
LocationOceania, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea
1993

Every edition of Nauru

Populationas each edition published it
9,882 people July 1993 est. · 9,202 in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.42% 1993 est. · 0.37% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 19.6 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
66.68 years 1993 est. · 68.6 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.2 children per woman 1993 est. · 2.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
40.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 41 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$10,000 1989 est. · $12,600 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 8% in 2015

Geography

Oceania, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea

14 fields

Land useshare of 21 km2

forest and woodland 0%other 100%arable land 0% in all · permanent crops 0% in all · meadows and pastures 0% in all
Area
21km2
land area: 21 km2comparative area: about one-tenth the size of Washington, DC
Coastline
30km
land boundaries: 0 kmexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

Oceania, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea

Map references

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

Climate

  • tropical;
  • monsoonal;
  • rainy season (November to February)

Terrain

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

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
9,882
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1.42% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
18.92Death
5.1Net migration
0.4

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

40.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
66.68 years
male:
64.3 years
female:
69.18 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Nauruan(s)
adjective:
Nauruan

Religions

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

Languages

Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes

Literacy

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

Labor force

by occupation: NA

Government

Republic

20 fields

Names

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

Type

republic

Capital

no official capital; government offices in Yaren

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)

Constitution

29 January 1968

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Elections

President:
last held 19 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995); results - Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament
Parliament:
  • last held on 14 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995);
  • results - percent of vote NA;
  • seats - (18 total) independents 18

Executive branch

president, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)

Member of

AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UPU

Diplomatic representation in US

there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam)

US diplomatic representation

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.

18 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$10,000
(1989 est.)
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 are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition.

National product

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $90 million (1989 est.)

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

Electricity

14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced, 5,430 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products

Agriculture

  • coconuts;
  • other agricultural activity negligible;
  • almost completely dependent on imports for food and water

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries (1970-89), $2 million

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4837 (January 1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

6 fields

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

1 bulk ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,426 GRT/5,750 DWT

Airports

total:
1
useable:
1
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1

Telecommunications

  • adequate local and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities;
  • 1,600 telephones;
  • 4,000 radios;
  • broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV;
  • 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Directorate of the Nauru Police Force | note: | no regular armed forces

4 fields

Branches

Directorate of the Nauru Police Force note: no regular armed forces

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 NA; fit for military service NA

Defense expenditures

$NA - no formal defense structure

Affiliation

(territory of the US)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Nauru.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nauru/1993.

How to cite ← 1992 edition 1994 edition →