Nauru (2007) | Slovenia (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren | 136 municipalities (obcine, singular - obcina) and 11 urban municipalities* (mestne obcine , singular - mestna obcina ) Ajdovscina, Beltinci, Bled, Bohinj, Borovnica, Bovec, Brda, Brezice, Brezovica, Cankova-Tisina, Celje*, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, Cerknica, Cerkno, Crensovci, Crna na Koroskem, Crnomelj, Destrnik-Trnovska Vas, Divaca, Dobrepolje, Dobrova-Horjul-Polhov Gradec, Dol pri Ljubljani, Domzale, Dornava, Dravograd, Duplek, Gorenja Vas-Poljane, Gorisnica, Gornja Radgona, Gornji Grad, Gornji Petrovci, Grosuplje, Hodos Salovci, Hrastnik, Hrpelje-Kozina, Idrija, Ig, Ilirska Bistrica, Ivancna Gorica, Izola, Jesenice, Jursinci, Kamnik, Kanal, Kidricevo, Kobarid, Kobilje, Kocevje, Komen, Koper*, Kozje, Kranj*, Kranjska Gora, Krsko, Kungota, Kuzma, Lasko, Lenart, Lendava, Litija, Ljubljana*, Ljubno, Ljutomer, Logatec, Loska Dolina, Loski Potok, Luce, Lukovica, Majsperk, Maribor*, Medvode, Menges, Metlika, Mezica, Miren-Kostanjevica, Mislinja, Moravce, Moravske Toplice, Mozirje, Murska Sobota*, Muta, Naklo, Nazarje, Nova Gorica*, Novo Mesto*, Odranci, Ormoz, Osilnica, Pesnica, Piran, Pivka, Podcetrtek, Podvelka-Ribnica, Postojna, Preddvor, Ptuj*, Puconci, Race-Fram, Radece, Radenci, Radlje ob Dravi, Radovljica, Ravne-Prevalje, Ribnica, Rogasevci, Rogaska Slatina, Rogatec, Ruse, Semic, Sencur, Sentilj, Sentjernej, Sentjur pri Celju, Sevnica, Sezana, Skocjan, Skofja Loka, Skofljica, Slovenj Gradec*, Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice, Smarje pri Jelsah, Smartno ob Paki, Sostanj, Starse, Store, Sveti Jurij, Tolmin, Trbovlje, Trebnje, Trzic, Turnisce, Velenje*, Velike Lasce, Videm, Vipava, Vitanje, Vodice, Vojnik, Vrhnika, Vuzenica, Zagorje ob Savi, Zalec, Zavrc, Zelezniki, Ziri, Zrece
note: there may be 45 more municipalities |
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:
16.09% (male 159,428; female 151,134) 15-64 years: 69.61% (male 681,333; female 662,170) 65 years and over: 14.3% (male 101,354; female 174,713) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coconuts | potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 14 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total:
6 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total:
8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
20,253 sq km land: 20,253 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
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. | In 1918 the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new nation, renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power of the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991. Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy make Slovenia a leading candidate for future membership in the EU and NATO. |
Birth rate | 24.47 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.32 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $13.5 million
expenditures: $13.5 million (2005) |
revenues:
$8.11 billion expenditures: $8.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
Capital | no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Ljubljana |
Climate | tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) | Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east |
Coastline | 30 km | 46.6 km |
Constitution | 29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day) | adopted 23 December 1991, effective 23 December 1991 |
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:
Republic of Slovenia conventional short form: Slovenia local long form: Republika Slovenija local short form: Slovenija |
Currency | - | tolar (SIT) |
Death rate | 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $33.3 million (2002) | $6.2 billion (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru | chief of mission:
Ambassador Nancy ELY-RAPHEL embassy: Presernova 31, SI-1000 Ljubljana mailing address: P. O. Box 254, Presernova 31, 1000 Ljubljana; American Embassy Ljubljana, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7140 telephone: [386] (01) 200-5500 FAX: [386] (01) 200-5555 |
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) |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Davorin KRACUN chancery: 1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 667-5363 FAX: [1] (202) 667-4563 consulate(s) general: New York consulate(s): Cleveland |
Disputes - international | none | progress with Croatia on discussions of adjustments to land boundary, but problems remain in defining maritime boundary in Gulf of Piran; Austria has minor dispute with Slovenia over nuclear power plants and post-World War II treatment of German-speaking minorities |
Economic aid - recipient | $20 million mostly from Australia (2005) | ODA, $5 million (1993) |
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. | Although Slovenia enjoys one of the highest GDPs per capita among the transition economies of Central Europe, it needs to speed up the privatization process and the dismantling of restrictions on foreign investment. About 45% of the economy remains in state hands, and the level of foreign direct investment inflows as a percent of GDP is the lowest in the region. Analysts are predicting between 4.0% and 4.2% growth for 2001. Export growth is expected to slow in 2001 and 2002 as EU markets soften. Inflation rose from 6.1% to 8.9% in 2000 and remains a matter of concern. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.9 million kWh (2005) | 10.024 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 2.2 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 645 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 30 million kWh (2005) | 12.451 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
34.44% hydro: 29.58% nuclear: 35.98% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m |
lowest point:
Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Triglav 2,864 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 | Sava River polluted with domestic and industrial waste; pollution of coastal waters with heavy metals and toxic chemicals; forest damage near Koper from air pollution (originating at metallurgical and chemical plants) and resulting acid rain |
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 |
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% | Slovene 88%, Croat 3%, Serb 2%, Bosniak 1%, Yugoslav 0.6%, Hungarian 0.4%, other 5% (1991) |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) | tolars per US dollar - 225.93 (January 2001), 222.66 (2000), 181.77 (1999), 166.13 (1998), 159.69 (1997), 135.36 (1996) |
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:
President Milan KUCAN (since 22 April 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Janez DRNOVSEK (since 15 October 2000); cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 November 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); following National Assembly elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually nominated to become prime minister by the president and elected by the National Assembly; election last held 15 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: Milan KUCAN elected president; percent of vote - Milan KUCAN 56.3%, Janez PODOBNIK 18%; Janez DRNOVSEK elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - NA |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $8.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | phosphates | manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food |
Exports - partners | South Africa 63.7%, South Korea 7.6%, Canada 6.6% (2006) | Germany 31%, Italy 14%, Croatia 8%, Austria 7%, France 6% (1999) |
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 | three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red, with the Slovenian seal (a shield with the image of Triglav, Slovenia's highest peak, in white against a blue background at the center; beneath it are two wavy blue lines depicting seas and rivers, and above it are three six-pointed stars arranged in an inverted triangle which are taken from the coat of arms of the Counts of Celje, the great Slovene dynastic house of the late 14th and early 15th centuries); the seal is located in the upper hoist side of the flag centered in the white and blue bands |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $22.9 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture:
4% industry: 35% services: 61% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $12,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 4.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 0 32 S, 166 55 E | 46 00 N, 15 00 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 | - |
Highways | - | total:
19,586 km paved: 17,745 km (including 249 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,841 km (1998 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
3.2% highest 10%: 20.7% (1995) |
Illicit drugs | - | minor transit point for cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, and for precursor chemicals |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $9.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food |
Imports - partners | South Korea 43.8%, Australia 36.2%, US 5.9%, Germany 4.3% (2006) | Germany 21%, Italy 17%, France 11%, Austria 8%, Croatia 4%, Hungary, Russia (1999) |
Independence | 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) | 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 6.2% (2000) |
Industries | phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products | ferrous metallurgy and rolling mill products, aluminum reduction and rolled products, lead and zinc smelting, electronics (including military electronics), trucks, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools |
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.) |
4.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -3.6% (1993) | 8.9% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO | ABEDA, ACCT (observer), BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 11 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA | 20 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | Supreme Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the Judicial Council); Constitutional Court (judges elected for nine-year terms by the National Assembly and nominated by the president) |
Labor force | - | 857,400 |
Labor force - by occupation | note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation (1992) | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
1,165 km border countries: Austria 330 km, Croatia 501 km, Italy 232 km, Hungary 102 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land:
12% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 24% forests and woodland: 54% other: 7% (1996 est.) |
Languages | Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes | Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 6%, other 3% |
Legal system | acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations | based on civil law system |
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 |
unicameral National Assembly or Drzavni Zbor (90 seats, 40 are directly elected and 50 are selected on a proportional basis; note - the numbers of directly elected and proportionally elected seats varies with each election; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 15 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - LDS 36%, SDS 16%, ZLSD 12%, SLS/SKD 10%, NSI 9%, SMS 4%, SNS 4%, DeSUS 5%, other 4%; seats by party - LDS 34, SDS 14, ZLDS 11, SLS/SKD 9, NSI 8, SMS 4, SNS 4, DeSUS 4, other 2 note: the National Council or Drzavni Svet is an advisory body with limited legislative powers; it may propose laws and ask to review any National Assembly decisions; in the election of NA November 1997, 40 members were elected to represent local, professional, and socioeconomic interests (next election to be held in the fall of 2002) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 63.44 years
male: 59.85 years female: 67.21 years (2007 est.) |
total population:
75.08 years male: 71.2 years female: 79.17 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition:
NA total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands | Southeastern Europe, eastern Alps bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Austria and Croatia |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
NA |
Military - note | 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) | Slovenian Army (includes Air and Naval Forces) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $370 million (FY00) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 1.7% (FY00) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
523,336 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
416,237 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 19 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
14,513 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 31 January (1968) | Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June (1991) |
Nationality | noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan |
noun:
Slovene(s) adjective: Slovenian |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts | flooding and earthquakes |
Natural resources | phosphates, fish | lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 2.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 290 km; natural gas 305 km |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party; note - loose multiparty system | Democratic Party of Retired (Persons) of Slovenia or DeSUS [Janko KUSAR]; Liberal Democratic or LDS [Janez DRNOVSEK, chairman]; New Slovenia or NSI [Andrej BAJUK, chairman]; Slovene National Party or SNS [Zmago JELINCIC, chairman]; Slovene People's Party or SLS (Slovenian People's Party or SLS and Slovenian Christian Democrats or SKD merged in April 2000) [Franc ZAGOZEN, chairman]; Slovene Youth Party or SMS [leader NA]; Social Democratic Party of Slovenia or SDS [Janez JANSA, chairman]; United List of Social Democrats (former Communists and allies) or ZLSD [Borut PAHOR, chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 13,528 (July 2007 est.) | 1,930,132 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.781% (2007 est.) | 0.14% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Izola, Koper, Piran |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 17, FM 160, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 805,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | total:
1,201 km standard gauge: 1,201 km 1.435-m gauge (489 km electrified) (1999) |
Religions | Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) | Roman Catholic 68.8%, Uniate Catholic 2%, Lutheran 1%, Muslim 1%, atheist 4.3%, other 22.9% |
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:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed) |
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: 100% digital (2000) international: NA |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,900 (2002) | 722,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,500 (2002) | 1 million (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 48 (2001) |
Terrain | sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center | a short coastal strip on the Adriatic, an alpine mountain region adjacent to Italy and Austria, mixed mountain and valleys with numerous rivers to the east |
Total fertility rate | 3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.28 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 90% (2004 est.) | 7.1% (1997 est.) |
Waterways | - | NA |