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Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) - Nauru (2007)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2008) z Nauru (2007)

 British Virgin Islands (2008)Nauru (2007)
 British Virgin IslandsNauru
Administrative divisions none (overseas territory of the UK) 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Age structure 0-14 years: 20.2% (male 2,410/female 2,337)


15-64 years: 74.5% (male 9,004/female 8,534)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 665/female 602) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 36.4% (male 2,508/female 2,410)


15-64 years: 61.6% (male 4,111/female 4,224)


65 years and over: 2% (male 144/female 131) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish coconuts
Airports 3 (2007) 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
-
Area total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
total: 21 sq km


land: 21 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Background First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and 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 its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
Birth rate 14.82 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 24.47 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $204.7 million


expenditures: $180.4 million (2004)
revenues: $13.5 million


expenditures: $13.5 million (2005)
Capital name: Road Town


geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
no official capital; government offices in Yaren District


time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
Coastline 80 km 30 km
Constitution 13 June 2007 29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day)
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru


conventional short form: Nauru


local long form: Republic of Nauru


local short form: Nauru


former: Pleasant Island
Death rate 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $36.1 million (1997) $33.3 million (2002)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Vinci Niel CLODUMAR


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


telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074


FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079


consulate(s): Agana (Guam)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $20 million mostly from Australia (2005)
Economy - overview The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 820,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 2005. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959. Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian company in 2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. 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. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds, the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments. In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.
Electricity - consumption 41.85 million kWh (2005) 27.9 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 45 million kWh (2005) 30 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
Environment - international 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
Ethnic groups black 83%, other 17% (includes white, Indian, Asian and mixed) Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Exchange rates the US dollar is used Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006)


head of government: Premier Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 23 August 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the House of Assembly


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
chief of state: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004)


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 28 August 2007 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: Ludwig SCOTTY 14, Marcos STEVEN 3
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand phosphates
Exports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) South Africa 63.7%, South Korea 7.6%, Canada 6.6% (2006)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March 1 July - 30 June
Flag description blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) 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
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - real growth rate 1% (2002 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 0 32 S, 166 55 E
Geography - note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico 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
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering -
Imports 604.3 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery
Imports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2006) South Korea 43.8%, Australia 36.2%, US 5.9%, Germany 4.3% (2006)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products
Infant mortality rate total: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.82 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 9.6 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 12.07 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2005) -3.6% (1993)
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS, UNESCO (associate), UPU ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Irrigated land NA NA
Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction Supreme Court
Labor force 12,770 (2004) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 0.6%


industry: 40%


services: 59.4% (2005)
note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation (1992)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2005)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
Languages English (official) Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Legal system English law acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch unicameral House of Assembly (13 elected seats and 1 non-voting ex officio member in the attorney general; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 20 August 2007 (next to be held in 2011)


election results: percent of vote by party - VIP 45.2%, NDP 39.6%, independent 15.2%; seats by party - VIP 10, NDP 2, independent 1
unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)


elections: last held 25 August 2007 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18; note - 15 of 18 incumbents reelected
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.86 years


male: 75.71 years


female: 78.07 years (2007 est.)
total population: 63.44 years


male: 59.85 years


female: 67.21 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Oceania
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia
Military branches - no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA
National holiday Territory Day, 1 July (1956) Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Nationality noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
noun: Nauruan(s)


adjective: Nauruan
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) periodic droughts
Natural resources NEGL phosphates, fish
Net migration rate 8.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; note - loose multiparty system
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 23,552 (July 2007 est.) 13,528 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 1.923% (2007 est.) 1.781% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004) AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, other 2%, none 2% (1991) Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.055 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.105 male(s)/female


total population: 1.053 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.973 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.099 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean (2007)
general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities


domestic: NA


international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 11,700 (2002) 1,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,000 (2002) 1,500 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus 1 cable company) (1997) 1 (1997)
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.6% (1997) 90% (2004 est.)
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