Nauru
Republic of Nauru
republic
Nauru as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 97 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of | the Marshall Islands
18 fieldsLand use
- arable land:
- NA%
- permanent crops:
- NA%
- permanent pastures:
- NA%
- forests and woodland:
- NA%
- other:
- 100% (1993 est.)
Environment--current issues
- limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater;
- intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years--mainly by a UK, Australia, and New Zealand consortium--has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
Environment--international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography--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
14 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Languages
Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Government
Republic; President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998); President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998)
18 fieldsParliament, 18 seats, elected 8 February 1997one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Nauru
- conventional short form:
- Nauru
- former:
- Pleasant Island
Administrative divisions
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 17 June 1998); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- 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 17 June 1998 (next to be held NA 2001)
- election results:
- Bernard DOWIYOGO elected president; percent of Parliament vote--NA
note: former President Kinza CLODUMAR was deposed in a no-confidence vote
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA February 2000)
- election results:
- percent of vote--NA; seats--independents 18
International organization participation
AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US
Nauru does not have an embassy in the US; consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
Flag description
- 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 exports of phosphates, but | reserves are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000.
30 fieldsElectricity
Economy--overview
Revenues come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World. Few other resources exist, thus 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. The government also has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits.
To cut costs the government has called a freezing of wages, a reduction of over-staffed public service departments, privatization of numerous government agencies, and closure of some overseas consulates.
Labor force--by occupation
employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation
Exchange rates
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.5853 (January 1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
adequate local and international radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Transportation
6 fieldsNetworkskm
Railways
total: 3.9 km; note--used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
Military
No regular armed forces; Directorate of the | Nauru Police Force
4 fieldsMilitary--note
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, Australia is responsible for defense of the island
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Nauru.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nauru/1999.