Nauru (2007) | Isle of Man (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren | none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections |
Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years: 17.4% (male 6,681/female 6,365)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 24,693/female 24,482) 65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,163/female 7,665) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts | cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Gaelic language. |
Birth rate | 24.47 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 11.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $13.5 million
expenditures: $13.5 million (2005) |
revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Douglas |
Climate | tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) | temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time |
Coastline | 30 km | 160 km |
Constitution | 29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day) | unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not embody the unwritten Manx Constitution |
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 |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Isle of Man |
Death rate | 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 11.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $33.3 million (2002) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | British crown dependency |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru | none (British crown dependency) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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) |
none (British crown dependency) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $20 million mostly from Australia (2005) | NA |
Economy - overview | 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. | Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.9 million kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - production | 30 million kWh (2005) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m |
lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m
highest point: Snaefell 621 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 | waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution |
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 | Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% | Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) | Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000) |
Executive branch | 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 |
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held December 2010) election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004 |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $NA |
Exports - commodities | phosphates | tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb |
Exports - partners | South Africa 63.7%, South Korea 7.6%, Canada 6.6% (2006) | UK (2000) |
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 | red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $28,500 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 0 32 S, 166 55 E | 54 15 N, 4 30 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 | one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary |
Highways | - | total: 800 km
paved: 800 km unpaved: 0 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $NA |
Imports - commodities | food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery | timber, fertilizers, fish |
Imports - partners | South Korea 43.8%, Australia 36.2%, US 5.9%, Germany 4.3% (2006) | UK (2000) |
Independence | 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) | none (British crown dependency) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3.2% (FY96/97) |
Industries | phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products | financial services, light manufacturing, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 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.) |
total: 5.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -3.6% (1993) | 3.6% (March 2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO | UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | 0 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) |
Labor force | - | 39,690 (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation (1992) | agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0% other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (2002) |
Languages | Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes | English, Manx Gaelic |
Legal system | acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations | English common law and Manx statute |
Legislative branch | 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 |
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held November 2006) election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3, independents 19 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 63.44 years
male: 59.85 years female: 67.21 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 78.34 years
male: 74.98 years female: 81.87 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands | Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 267 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,834,626 GRT/11,354,689 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 31, cargo 54, chemical tanker 45, combination ore/oil 1, container 15, liquefied gas 46, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 10, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 253 (Australia 1, Bahamas 8, Denmark 39, France 2, Germany 55, Greece 20, Hong Kong 3, Italy 7, Japan 4, Netherlands 2, New Zealand 1, Norway 18, Singapore 2, Sweden 1, Turkey 2, United Kingdom 86, United States 2) registered in other countries: 9 (2005) |
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 (2007) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 31 January (1968) | Tynwald Day, 5 July |
Nationality | noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan |
noun: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts | NA |
Natural resources | phosphates, fish | none |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 5.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; note - loose multiparty system | Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government [leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]
note: most members sit as independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 13,528 (July 2007 est.) | 75,049 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.781% (2007 est.) | 0.52% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 61 km (35 km electrified) (2003) |
Religions | Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends |
Sex ratio | 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.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 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: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,900 (2002) | 51,000 (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,500 (2002) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) |
Terrain | sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center | hills in north and south bisected by central valley |
Total fertility rate | 3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 90% (2004 est.) | 0.6% (2004 est.) |