Nauru (2002) | Christmas Island (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 39.6% (male 2,515; female 2,366)
15-64 years: 58.7% (male 3,578; female 3,656) 65 years and over: 1.7% (male 108; female 106) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
Agriculture - products | coconuts | NA |
Airports | 1 (2001) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Nauru's phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium; the island was occupied by Australian forces in World War I. Nauru achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999. Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic. | Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. The phosphate mine, closed in 1987, was reopened four years later, but the need for an alternative industry has spurred investment in tourism. Old mining areas are being restored, and almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. |
Birth rate | 26.6 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
Budget | revenues: $23.4 million
expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96) |
revenues:
$NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
Capital | no official capital; government offices in Yaren District | The Settlement |
Climate | tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February) | tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds |
Coastline | 30 km | 138.9 km |
Constitution | 29 January 1968 | Christmas Island Act of 1958 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island |
conventional long form:
Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island |
Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | 7.06 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
Debt - external | $33.3 million | $NA |
Dependency status | - | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | Nauru does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a UN office at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, New York 10017; telephone: (212) 937-0074
consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam) |
none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.) | $NA |
Economy - overview | Revenues of this tiny island have come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted within a few years. Phosphate production has declined since 1989, as demand has fallen in traditional markets and as the marginal cost of extracting the remaining phosphate increases, making it less internationally competitive. While phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World, few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, including fresh water from Australia. 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 have been invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. The government has been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has called for a freeze on wages, a reduction of over-staffed public service departments, privatization of numerous government agencies, and closure of some overseas consulates. In recent years Nauru has encouraged the registration of offshore banks and corporations. Tens of billions of dollars have been channeled through their accounts. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's per capita GDP varying widely. | Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened by union workers. With the support of the government, Australian-based Casinos Austria International Ltd. built a $34 million casino on Christmas Island, which opened in 1993. As of yearend 1999, gaming facilities at the casino were temporarily closed but were expected to reopen in early 2000. Another economic prospect is the possible location of a space-launching site on the island. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.9 million kWh (2000) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - production | 30 million kWh (2000) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m |
Environment - current issues | 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 | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% | Chinese 61%, Malay 25%, European 11%, other 3%, no indigenous population |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002) 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Acting President Derog GIOURA (since 10 March 2003) following death of President Bernard DOWIYOGO note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Acting President Derog GIOURA (since 10 March 2003) following death of President Bernard DOWIYOGO 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 8 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2004); following Rene HARRIS' resignation, Bernard DOWIYOGO was elected president election results: Rene HARRIS elected president; percent of Parliamentary vote - NA%; replaced by Bernard DOWIYOGO 9 January 2003 following a no-confidence vote; HARRIS reinstated 17 January 2003, then gives up presidency 18 January and DOWIYOGO is elected president; DOWIYOGO dies 10 March 2003; with 9 votes over 8 for Kinza CLODUMAR, Derog GIOURA was named acting president |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
Exports | $25.3 million f.o.b. (1991) | $NA |
Exports - commodities | phosphates | phosphate |
Exports - partners | NZ, Australia, South Korea, US (2000) | Australia, NZ |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | the flag of Australia is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $60 million (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $NA |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 0 32 S, 166 55 E | 10 30 S, 105 40 E |
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 | located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean |
Highways | total: 30 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 6 km (1998 est.) |
total:
140 km (not including 100 km that is maintained by private industry) paved: 30 km unpaved: 110 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | broad-based money-laundering center | - |
Imports | $21.1 million c.i.f. (1991) | $NA |
Imports - commodities | food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery | consumer goods |
Imports - partners | Australia, US, UK, Indonesia, India (2000) | principally Australia |
Independence | 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) |
Infant mortality rate | 10.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 live births |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -3.6% (1993) (1993) | NA% |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO | none |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court |
Labor force | - | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation | tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
NA% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: NA% note: mainly tropical rainforest of which 60%-70% is in a national park |
Languages | Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes | English, Chinese, Malay |
Legal system | acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law | under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 18 |
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)
elections: last held NA December 2000 (next to be held NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 61.57 years
male: 58.05 years female: 65.26 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
- |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands | Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone:
12 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 3,103 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,710 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 31 January (1968) | NA |
Nationality | noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan |
noun:
Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts | the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | phosphates, fish | phosphate |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [Bernard DOWIYOGO] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 12,329 (July 2002 est.) | 2,771 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.96% (2002 est.) | 7.77% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Nauru | Flying Fish Cove |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 7,000 (1997) | 1,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 5 km
note: gauge unknown; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast (2001) |
24 km to serve phosphate mines |
Religions | Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) | Buddhist 55%, Christian 15%, Muslim 10%, other 20% (1991) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
- |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal and compulsory | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service |
Telephones - main lines in use | 2,000 (1996) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 450 (1994) | 0 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | NA |
Terrain | sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center | steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau |
Total fertility rate | 3.5 children born/woman (2002 est.) | NA children born/woman |
Unemployment rate | 0% | NA% |
Waterways | none | none |