Nauru (2005) | Anguilla (2008) | |
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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 the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 37.5% (male 2,511/female 2,379)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 3,895/female 4,012) 65 years and over: 1.9% (male 132/female 119) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 22.3% (male 1,546/female 1,502)
15-64 years: 70.8% (male 4,979/female 4,705) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 423/female 522) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts | small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising |
Airports | 1 (2004 est.) | 3 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Area | total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC | about half 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. | Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency. |
Birth rate | 25.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 13.97 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $23.4 million
expenditures: $64.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY95/96) |
revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million (2000 est.) |
Capital | no official capital; government offices in Yaren District | name: The Valley
geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 03 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds |
Coastline | 30 km | 61 km |
Constitution | 29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day) | Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Anguilla |
Death rate | 6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 5.34 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $33.3 million (2002) | $8.8 million (1998) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
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 the UK) |
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): Agana (Guam) |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $2.25 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.) | $9 million (2004 est.) |
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. | Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector, has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector, which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on favorable weather conditions. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.9 million kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | - |
Electricity - production | 30 million kWh (2002) | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crocus Hill 65 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 | supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system |
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% | black (predominant) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%, other 1.5% (2001 Census) |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
note: fixed rate since 1976 |
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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Andrew N. GEORGE (since 10 July 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March 2000) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the elected 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 chief minister by the governor |
Exports | NA | $13 million (2006) |
Exports - commodities | phosphates | lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum |
Exports - partners | South Africa 43.4%, Germany 20.7%, India 11.8%, Japan 7.2%, Poland 4% (2004) | UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
agriculture: 4%
industry: 18% services: 78% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $5,000 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 10.2% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 0 32 S, 166 55 E | 18 15 N, 63 10 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 | the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles |
Highways | total: 30 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.) |
- |
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 | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA | $143 million (2006) |
Imports - commodities | food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery | fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles |
Imports - partners | Australia 65.6%, Indonesia 5.4%, Germany 5.3%, UK 4.4% (2004) | US, Puerto Rico, UK (2006) |
Independence | 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | 3.1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products | tourism, boat building, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | total: 9.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.51 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 19.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -3.6% (1993) | 5.3% (2006 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court) |
Labor force | - | 6,049 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation | agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing 3%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, commerce 36%, services 29% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some commercial salt ponds) (2005) |
Languages | Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes | English (official) |
Legal system | acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law | based on English common law |
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 House of Assembly (11 seats; 7 members elected by direct popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, AUM 19.4%, ANSA 19.2%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA 2, AUM 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 62.73 years
male: 59.16 years female: 66.48 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 77.46 years
male: 74.53 years female: 80.49 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95% male: 95% female: 95% (1984 est.) |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 31 January (1968) | Anguilla Day, 30 May (1967) |
Nationality | noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan |
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts | frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October) |
Natural resources | phosphates, fish | salt, fish, lobster |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 5.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader NA] | Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]; The Anguilla United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS] (a coalition of the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National Alliance or ANA); Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy ROGERS]; Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 13,048 (July 2005 est.) | 13,677 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 23% (2002) |
Population growth rate | 1.83% (2005 est.) | 1.375% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Nauru | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Religions | Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) | Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%, Roman Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other 5.2%, none or unspecified 4.3% (2001 census) |
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: 1.11 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.029 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.058 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.033 male(s)/female (2007 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: modern internal telephone system international: country code - 1-264; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) (2007) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,900 (2002) | 6,200 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,500 (2002) | 1,800 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center | flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone |
Total fertility rate | 3.19 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.72 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 90% (2004 est.) | 8% (2002) |