Nauru (2004) | Wallis and Futuna (2003) | |
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Administrative divisions | 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 2,516; female 2,372)
15-64 years: 60% (male 3,782; female 3,898) 65 years and over: 1.9% (male 128; female 113) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: NA%
15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts | breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats |
Airports | 1 (2003 est.) | 2 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 274 sq km
land: 274 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets |
Area - comparative | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC | 1.5 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. | Although discovered by the Dutch and the British in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was the French who declared a protectorate over the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted to become a French overseas territory. |
Birth rate | 25.61 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $23.4 million
expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY95/96) |
revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $17 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | no official capital; government offices in Yaren District | Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea) |
Climate | tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) | tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity); average temperature 26.6 degrees C |
Coastline | 30 km | 129 km |
Constitution | 29 January 1968 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island |
conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna local short form: Wallis et Futuna |
Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003 |
Death rate | 6.95 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $33.3 million (2002) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru | none (overseas territory of France) |
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 (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.) (2000 est.) | assistance from France |
Economy - overview | Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates, but reserves are now depleted. 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 have been 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 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. In 2004 the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat has substantially mounted. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely. | The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with about 80% labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New Caledonia. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.9 million kWh (2001) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 30 million kWh (2001) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 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 | deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain) largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion; there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of natural fresh water 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% | Polynesian |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.2641 (2002) 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999) | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 126.41 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 26 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 26 October 2004); 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 23 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: Ludwig SCOTTY was unopposed in the parliamentary elections for president |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Administrator Christian JOB (since 6 August 2002)
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione KANIMOA (since NA January 2001) cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the Territorial Assembly note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly |
Exports | NA (2001) | $250,000 f.o.b. (1999) |
Exports - commodities | phosphates | copra, chemicals, construction materials |
Exports - partners | Japan 42.3%, India 38.5%, South Korea 7.7% (2003) | Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13% |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
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 | a large white modified Maltese cross - shifted a little off center toward the fly and slightly downward - on a red background; the flag of France outlined in white on two sides is in the upper hoist quadrant; the flag of France is used for official occasions |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $60 million (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $30 million (2000 est.) |
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 - $2,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 0 32 S, 166 55 E | 13 18 S, 176 12 W |
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 | both island groups have fringing reefs |
Highways | total: 30 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.) |
total: 120 km (Ile Uvea 100 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)
paved: 16 km (all on Ile Uvea) unpaved: 104 km (Ile Uvea 84 km, Ile Futuna 20 km) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | offshore banking recently stopped, remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime | - |
Imports | NA (2001) | $300,000 f.o.b. (1999) |
Imports - commodities | food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery | chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods |
Imports - partners | Australia 67.9%, Indonesia 10.7%, US 7.1% (2003) | France 97%, Australia 2%, New Zealand 1% |
Independence | 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products | copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber |
Infant mortality rate | total: 10.14 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: NA%
male: NA% female: NA% |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -3.6% (1993) | NA% |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO | FZ, SPC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | none; justice generally administered under French law by the high administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu |
Labor force | - | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation | agriculture, livestock, and fishing 80%, government 4% (2001 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 20% other: 75% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes | French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language) |
Legal system | acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law | French legal system |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 3 May 2003 (next to be held not later than May 2006) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Nauru First Party 3, independents 15 |
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7 note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate - elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats - RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16 June 2002 (next to be held by NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats - RPR (UMP) 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 62.33 years
male: 58.78 years female: 66.06 years (2004 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50% male: 50% female: 50% (1969 est.) |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Oceania | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none | total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 85,572 GRT/9,004 DWT
ships by type: passenger 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: France 3, US 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia | defense is the responsibility of France |
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: 3,275 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,810 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 31 January (1968) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan |
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts | NA |
Natural resources | phosphates, fish | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader NA] | Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians) [leader NA]; Mouvement des Radicaux de Gauche or MRG [leader NA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Clovis LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 12,809 (July 2004 est.) | 15,734 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.87% (2004 est.) | NA (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Nauru | Leava, Mata-Utu |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) | Roman Catholic 99%, other 1% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
- |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: NA |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,900 (2002) | 1,125 (1994) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,500 (2002) | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 2 (2000) |
Terrain | sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center | volcanic origin; low hills |
Total fertility rate | 3.29 children born/woman (2004 est.) | NA children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | - | none |