Nauru
Republic of Nauru
parliamentary republic
Nauru as the 2023 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 138 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Nauru was inhabited by Micronesian and Polynesian settlers by around 1000 B.C., and the island was divided into 12 clans. Nauru developed in relative isolation because ocean currents made landfall on the island difficult. As a result, the Nauruan language does not clearly resemble any other in the Pacific region. In 1798, British sea captain John FEARN became the first European to spot the island. By 1830, European whalers used Nauru as a supply stop, trading firearms for food.
In 1878, a civil war erupted on the island, reducing the population by more than a third. Germany forcibly annexed Nauru in 1888 by holding the 12 chiefs under house arrest until they consented to the annexation. Germany banned alcohol, confiscated weapons, instituted strict dress codes, and brought in Christian missionaries to convert the population. Phosphate was discovered in 1900 and heavily mined, although Nauru and Nauruans earned about one tenth of one percent of the profits from the phosphate deposits.
Australian forces captured Nauru from Germany during World War I, and in 1919, it was placed under a joint Australian-British-New Zealand mandate with Australian administration. Japan occupied Nauru during World War II and used its residents as forced labor elsewhere in the Pacific while destroying much of the infrastructure on the island. After the war, Nauru became a UN trust territory under Australian administration.
Recognizing the phosphate stocks would eventually be depleted, in 1962, Australian Prime Minister Robert MENZIES offered to resettle all Nauruans on Curtis Island in Queensland, but Nauruans rejected that plan and opted for independence, which was achieved in 1968. In 1970, Nauru purchased the phosphate mining assets, and income from the mines made Nauruans among the richest people in the world. However, Nauru subsequently began a series of unwise investments in buildings, musical theater, and an airline. Nauru sued Australia in 1989 for the damage caused by mining when Australia administered the island. Widespread phosphate mining officially ceased in 2006.
Nauru went nearly bankrupt by 2000 and tried to rebrand itself as an offshore banking haven, although it ended that practice in 2005. In 2001, Australia set up the Nauru Regional Processing Center (NRPC), an offshore refugee detention facility, paying Nauru per person at the center. The NRPC was closed in 2008 but reopened in 2012. The number of refugees has steadily declined since 2014, and the remaining people were moved to a hotel in Brisbane, Australia, in 2020, effectively shuttering the NRPC. In a bid for Russian humanitarian aid, in 2008, Nauru recognized the breakaway Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Geography
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
17 fieldsLand useshare of 21 sq km
Population distribution
- 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
Geography - note
- 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
People and Society
31 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2023 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2023 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2021 est.)
Religions(2021 est.)
Languages
Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes Gilbertese 2% and Chinese 2%) (2011 est.) note: data represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12%
Population distribution
- 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
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.51 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
- male:
- 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 2.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 1.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Environment
9 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- 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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 100% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 0.05 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023); President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023)
20 fieldsParliament, 19 seats, elected 24 September 2022one dot, one seat
Composition: men 17, women 2, percent of women 10.5%
Country name
- 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"
Capital
- name:
- no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District
- time difference:
- UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baitsi, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Constitution
- 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 require two-thirds majority of votes in a referendum;
- amended several times, last in 2018
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament
- elections/appointments:
- president indirectly elected by Parliament for 3-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 October 2023 (next to be held in 2026)
- election results:
- David ADEAGN elected president over Delvin THOMA, 10-8
Legislative branch
- 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 September 2022 (next to be held in September 2025)
- election results:
- percent of vote - NA;
- seats - independent 19;
- composition - men 17, women 2, percent of women 10.5%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- 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
Political parties and leaders
Nauru does not have formal political parties; alliances within the government are often formed based on extended family ties
International organization participation
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICCt, IFAD, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Margo DEIYE (since 1 December 2021)
- chancery:
- 800 2nd Avenue, Third Floor, New York, NY 10017
- telephone:
- [1] (212) 937-0074
- FAX:
- [1] (212) 937-0079
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://www.un.int/nauru/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: 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, 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
National anthem
- name:
- "Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru)
- lyrics/music:
- Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS
note: adopted 1968
Economy
31 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2009 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2016 est.)
Budget(2020 est.)
Economic overview
- upper-middle-income Pacific island country;
- phosphate resource exhaustion made island interior uninhabitable;
- licenses fishing rights;
- houses Australia’s Regional Processing Centre;
- former tax haven;
- largely dependent on foreign subsidies
Agricultural products
coconuts, tropical fruit, vegetables, pork, eggs, pig offals, pig fat, poultry, papayas, cabbages
Current account balance
$8.406 million (2018 est.) · $14.11 million (2017 est.) · $2.079 million (2016 est.)
Exports
$187 million (2021 est.) · $105 million (2020 est.) · $32.7 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - commodities
skipjack, calcium phosphates, tuna, cars, delivery trucks, low-voltage protection equipment (2021)
Imports
$94.2 million (2021 est.) · $103 million (2020 est.) · $88.2 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exchange rates
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.331 (2021 est.) · 1.453 (2020 est.) · 1.439 (2019 est.) · 1.338 (2018 est.) · 1.305 (2017 est.)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2021)
Installed generating capacity, 15,000 kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 400 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- consumption:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- exports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- imports:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
66,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 66,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2010–21 est.)
Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions:
- (2018 est.) 0
- subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
- (2018 est.) 0
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- relies on satellite as the primary Internet service provider and mobile operator;
- internet connectivity on the island is very limited and unstable due to the vulnerability of the network infrastructure to bad weather and limited network coverage, with several blind spots (2022)
- domestic:
- fixed-line 0 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscribership approximately 80 per 100 (2021)
- international:
- country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Broadcast media
- 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)
Transportation
7 fieldsNational air transport system
- 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 (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
1
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature;
paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Military and Security
No regular military forces; the police force, under the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, maintains internal security and, as necessary, external security (2023)
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular military forces; the police force, under the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, maintains internal security and, as necessary, external security (2023)
Military - note
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia
Nauru has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Nauru's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas;
"shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Nauru.” The World Factbook 2023. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nauru/2023.