Nauru Population: 9,591
NO VISITORS FROM HERE YET!Back to Flag Counter Overview | ![]() |
History | |
The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic. |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
Geography | |
World's smallest island country; 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 | |
Location: | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands |
Geographic coordinates: | 0 32 S, 166 55 E |
Area: | total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC |
Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
Coastline: | 30 km |
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate: | tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) |
Terrain: | sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center |
Elevation extremes: | |
Natural resources: | phosphates, fish |
Land use: | agricultural land: 20% arable land 0%; permanent crops 20%; permanent pasture 0% forest: 0% other: 80% (2011 est.) |
Irrigated land: | 0 sq km (2012) |
Natural hazards: | periodic droughts |
Current Environment Issues: | limited natural freshwater resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; a century of intensive phosphate mining beginning in 1906 - mainly by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources |
International Environment Agreements: | 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 |
^Back to Top | |
People | |
![]() | |
Nationality: | noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan |
Ethnic groups: | Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% |
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 I-Kiribati 2% and Chinese 2%) note: percentages represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12% (2011 est.) |
Religions: | Protestant 60.4% (includes Nauru Congregational 35.7%, Assembly of God 13%, Nauru Independent Church 9.5%, Baptist 1.5%, and Seventh Day Adventist 0.7%), Roman Catholic 33%, other 3.7%, none 1.8%, unspecified 1.1% (2011 est.) |
Population: | 9,591 (July 2016 est.) |
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 31.93% (male 1,336/female 1,726) 15-24 years: 16.09% (male 779/female 764) 25-54 years: 43.33% (male 2,085/female 2,071) 55-64 years: 6.29% (male 236/female 367) 65 years and over: 2.37% (male 89/female 138) (2016 est.) |
Median age: | total: 26.1 years male: 26.5 years female: 25.5 years (2016 est.) |
Population growth rate: | 0.52% (2016 est.) |
Birth rate: | 24.4 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
Death rate: | 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
Net migration rate: | -13.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) |
Urbanization: | urban population: 100% of total population (2015) rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) |
Sex ratio: | at birth: 0.83 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 0.77 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.64 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2016 est.) |
Mother's mean age at first birth: | 22.1 note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2007 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: | total: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births male: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 67.1 years male: 63 years female: 70.5 years (2016 est.) |
Total fertility rate: | 2.84 children born/woman (2016 est.) |
Contraceptive prevalence rate: | 35.6% (2007) |
Health expenditures: | 3.3% of GDP (2014) |
Physicians density: | 0.71 physicians/1,000 population (2010) |
Hospital bed density: | 5 beds/1,000 population (2010) |
Drinking water source: | improved: urban: 96.5% of population total: 96.5% of population unimproved: urban: 3.5% of population total: 3.5% of population (2015 est.) |
Sanitation facility access: | improved: urban: 65.6% of population total: 65.6% of population unimproved: urban: 34.4% of population total: 34.4% of population (2015 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: | 45.1% (2014) |
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: | 4.8% (2007) |
Education expenditures: | NA |
Literacy: | |
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): | total: 9 years male: 9 years female: 10 years (2008) |
^Back to Top | |
Government | |
![]() | |
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" |
Government type: | parliamentary republic |
Capital: | no official capital; government offices in Yaren District time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
Administrative divisions: | 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren |
Independence: | 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) |
National holiday: | Independence Day, 31 January (1968) |
Constitution: | effective 29 January 1968; amended 1968, 2009, 2014 (2016) |
Legal system: | mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and customary law |
Suffrage: | 20 years of age; universal and compulsory |
Executive branch: | chief of state: President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 3-year renewable term; election last held on 11 June 2013 (next to be held in 2016) election results: Baron WAQA reelected president on 11 June 2013; Parliament vote - Baron WAQA (independent) 13, Roland KUN (Nauru First) 5 |
Legislative branch: | description: unicameral parliament (19 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote; members serve 3-year terms) elections: last held on 9 July 2016 (next to be held in 2019) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 19 |
Judicial branch: | highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 1 judge) 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: | Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG] Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party Nauru Party (informal) note: loose multiparty system |
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues) |
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 |
National symbol(s): | frigatebird, calophyllum flower; national colors: blue, yellow, white |
National anthem: | name: "Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru) lyrics/music: Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS note: adopted 1968 |
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Marlene Inemwin MOSES (since 10 February 2006) chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074 FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079 |
Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru |
^Back to Top | |
Economy | |
Revenues of this tiny island - a coral atoll with a land area of 21 square kilometers - traditionally have come from exports of phosphates. Few other resources exist, with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. Primary reserves of phosphates were exhausted and mining ceased in 2006, but mining of a deeper layer of "secondary phosphate" in the interior of the island began the following year. The secondary phosphate deposits may last another 30 years. Earnings from Nauru’s export of phosphate remains an important source of income. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist; estimates of Nauru's GDP vary widely. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. Although revenue sources for government are limited, the opening of the Australian Regional Processing Center for asylum seekers since 2012 has sparked growth in the economy. Revenue derived from fishing licenses under the "vessel day scheme" has also boosted government income. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant are deteriorating. The cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continues to climb. | |
GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $150.8 million (2015 est.) $139.7 million (2014 est.) $127 million (2013 est.) |
GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $150.8 million (2015 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate: | 8% (2015 est.) 10% (2014 est.) 4.5% (2013 est.) |
GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $14,800 (2015 est.) $13,700 (2014 est.) $12,500 (2013 est.) note: data are in 2015 US dollars |
Agriculture - products: | coconuts |
Industries: | phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products |
Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
Labor force: | NA |
Labor force - by occupation: | note: most of the labor force is employed in phosphate mining, public administration, education, and transportation |
Unemployment rate: | 23% (2011 est.) 90% (2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line: | NA% |
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Budget: | revenues: $57.8 million expenditures: $51.8 million (2010 est.) |
Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June |
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (2015 est.) 5% (2015 est.) |
Exports: | $125 million (2013 est.) $110.3 million (2012 est.) |
Exports - commodities: | phosphates |
Imports: | $143.1 million (2013 est.) $41.2 million (2012 est.) |
Imports - commodities: | food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery |
Debt - external: | $33.3 million (2004 est.) |
Exchange rates: | Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.352 (2016 est.) 1.3291 (2015 est.) 1.3291 (2014 est.) 1.0358 (2013 est.) 0.97 (2012 est.) |
^Back to Top | |
Energy | |
![]() | |
Electricity - production: | 25 million kWh (2014 est.) |
Electricity - consumption: | 23.25 million kWh (2014 est.) |
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2013 est.) |
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2013 est.) |
Electricity - installed generating capacity: | 5,000 kW (2014 est.) |
Electricity - from fossil fuels: | 100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) |
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: | 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) |
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: | 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) |
Electricity - from other renewable sources: | 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) |
Crude oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Crude oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2013 est.) |
Crude oil - imports: | 0 bbl/day (2013 est.) |
Crude oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) |
Refined petroleum products - production: | 0 bbl/day (2013 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - consumption: | 400 bbl/day (2014 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2013 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - imports: | 394.8 bbl/day (2013 est.) |
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2013 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2013 est.) |
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2013 est.) |
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2013 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) |
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: | 200,000 Mt (2013 est.) |
^Back to Top | |
Communications | |
![]() | |
Cellular Phones in use: | total: 6,800 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 73 (July 2012 est.) |
Telephone system: | general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities 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 (2009) |
Internet country code: | .nr |
Internet users: | total: 5,100 percent of population: 53.5% (July 2015 est.) |
^Back to Top | |
Transportation | |
![]() | |
Airports: | 1 (2013) |
Airports (paved runways): | total 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) |
Roadways: | total 30 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 6 km (2002) |
Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Nauru |
^Back to Top | |
Military | |
![]() | |
Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia | |
Military branches: | no regular military forces (2012) |
^Back to Top | |
Transnational Issues | |
![]() | |
Disputes - International: | none |
^Back to Top |
Back to Flag Counter Overview
Source: CIA - The World Factbook