Nauru

republic

Nauru as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 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
LocationOceania, Micronesia, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea
1994

Every edition of Nauru

Populationas each edition published it
10,019 people July 1994 est. · 9,202 in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.33% 1994 est. · 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
2.08 children per woman 1994 est. · 2.3 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
40.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 41 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$10,000 1989 est. · $10,000 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 8% in 2015

Geography

Oceania, Micronesia, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea

23 fields
Coastline
30km
land boundaries: 0 km

Location

Oceania, Micronesia, 500 km north-northeast of Papua New Guinea

Map references

Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

21 sq km

land area

21 sq km

comparative area

about one-tenth the size of Washington, DC

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

arable land

0%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

0%

forest and woodland

0%

other

100%

current issues

limited water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater; phosphate mining threatens limited remaining land resources

natural hazards

rainfall is erratic

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

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; only 53 km south of Equator

People

19 fields
Population
10,019
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 1.33% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
18.03Death
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 (1994 est.)

total population

66.68 years

male

64.3 years

female

69.18 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.08 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

total population

NA%

male

NA%

female

NA%

by occupation

NA

Government

Republic

22 fields

Legislature, 18 seatsone dot, one seat

independents 18

conventional long form

Republic of Nauru

conventional short form

Nauru

former

Pleasant Island

Type

republic

Capital

no official capital; 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)

National holiday

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

Constitution

29 January 1968

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

chief of state and head of government

  • President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989);
  • election last held 19 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995);
  • results - Bernard DOWIYOGO elected by Parliament

cabinet

Cabinet; appointed by the president from the parliament

Parliament

  • elections last held on 14 November 1992 (next to be held NA November 1995);
  • results - percent of vote NA;
  • seats - (18 total) independents 18

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Member of

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

consulate(s)

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.

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$10,000
(1989 est.)
External debt
$33.3million

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.)

revenues

$69.7 million

expenditures

$51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1986 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

capacity

14,000 kW

production

50 million kWh

consumption per capita

5,430 kWh (1990)

Industries

phosphate mining, financial services, coconut products

Agriculture

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

recipient

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

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.4364 (January 1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2834 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

13 fields

Railroads

3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast

total

27 km

paved

21 km

unpaved

improved earth 6 km

Ports

Nauru

Merchant marine

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

total

1

usable

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

4 fields

Branches

Directorate of the Nauru Police Force

note

no regular armed forces

Defense expenditures

$NA - no formal defense structure

Affiliation

(territory of the US)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Nauru.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nauru/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →