Nauru

• extensive phosphate mining made approximately 90% of the island unsuitable for farming;
• most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast

• limited natural freshwater resources, roof storage tanks that collect rainwater and desalination plants provide water;
• a century of intensive phosphate mining beginning in 1906 left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland;
• cadmium residue, phosphate dust, and other contaminants have caused air and water pollution with negative impacts on health;
• climate change has brought on rising sea levels and inland water shortages

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind the Holy See (Vatican City) and Monaco;
• it is the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the the world's smallest independent republic;
• situated just 53 km south of the Equator, 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

noun:

Nauruan(s)

adjective:

Nauruan

• extensive phosphate mining made approximately 90% of the island unsuitable for farming;
• most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast

at birth:

0.84 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

0.79 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

0.85 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.66 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.56 male(s)/female

total population:

0.88 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

degree of risk:

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases:

malaria

conventional long form:

Republic of Nauru

conventional short form:

Nauru

local long form:

Republic of Nauru

local short form:

Nauru

former:

Pleasant Island

etymology:

the island name may derive from the Nauruan word "anaoero" meaning "I go to the beach"

name:

no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District

time difference:

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

history:

effective 29 January 1968

amendments:

• proposed by Parliament;
• passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament;
• amendments to constitutional articles, such as the republican form of government, protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and authorities of the executive and legislative branches, also requires two-thirds majority of votes in a referendum;
• amended 1968, 2009, 2014

description:

unicameral parliament (19 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote using the "Dowdall" counting system by which voters rank candidates on their ballots; members serve 3-year terms)

elections:

last held on 24 August 2019 (next to be held in 2022)

election results:

• percent of vote - NA;
• seats - independent 19;
• composition - men 17, women 2, percent of women 10.5%

highest courts:

• Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several justices);
• note - in late 2017, the Nauruan Government revoked the 1976 High Court Appeals Act, which had allowed appeals beyond the Nauruan Supreme Court, and in early 2018, the government formed its own appeals court

judge selection and term of office:

judges appointed by the president to serve until age 65

subordinate courts:

District Court, Family Court

• Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]
• Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party
• Nauru Party (informal)

note: loose multiparty system

chief of mission:

Ambassador Marlene Inemwin MOSES (since 13 March 2006)

chancery:

800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 937-0074

FAX:

[1] (212) 937-0079

• blue with a narrow, horizontal, gold stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side;
• blue stands for the Pacific Ocean, the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the gold stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru;
• the star's white color represents phosphate, the basis of the island's wealth

name:

"Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru)

lyrics/music:

Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS

note: adopted 1968

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

NA

• 1 government-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand sent via satellite or on videotape;
• 1 government-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, utilizes Australian and British programs (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

45,457 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

7.94 million mt-km (2018)

total:

30 km (2002)

paved:

24 km (2002)

unpaved:

6 km (2002)