The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it 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 independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

0 32 S, 166 55 E

Oceania

total: 21 sq km
country comparison to the world: 240
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

0 km

30 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)

sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed elevation along plateau rim 61 m

phosphates, fish

arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 20%
other: 80% (2011)

NA

periodic droughts

limited natural freshwater 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

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

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

noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan

Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%

Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes)

Protestant 45.8% (Nauru Congregational 35.4%, Nauru Independent Church 10.4%), Roman Catholic 33.2%, other 14.1%, none 4.5%, unspecified 2.4% (2002 census)

9,434 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 227

0-14 years: 32.5% (male 1,363/female 1,701)
15-24 years: 17.6% (male 857/female 801)
25-54 years: 42.3% (male 1,975/female 2,014)
55-64 years: 5.9% (male 225/female 327)
65 years and over: 1.8% (male 68/female 103) (2013 est.)

total: 25 years
male: 25.2 years
female: 24.7 years (2013 est.)

0.58% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146

26.39 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49

5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169

-14.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216

urban population: 100% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

at birth: 0.83 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.68 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

total: 8.36 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 154
male: 10.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

total population: 66.05 years
country comparison to the world: 169
male: 61.96 years
female: 69.47 years (2013 est.)

2.98 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59

35.6% (2007)

9.8% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 28

0.71 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

NA

NA

NA

71.1% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 2

4.8% (2007)
country comparison to the world: 90

NA

NA

total: 9 years
male: 9 years
female: 10 years (2008)

conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
local long form: Republic of Nauru
local short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island

republic

no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

effective 29 January 1968; amended 1968, 2009; note - in early 2013, further amendments were introduced (2013)

mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

chief of state: President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Baron WAQA (since 11 June 2013)
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 on 11 June 2013 (next to be held in 2016)
election results: Baron WAQA elected in a parliamentary vote of 13 to 5

unicameral parliament (19 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held on 8 June 2013 (next to be held in 2016)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 19

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 1 judge)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president to serve until age 65
subordinate courts: District Court, Family Court

Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]
note: loose multiparty system

Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues)

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, ICAO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

chief of mission: Ambassador Marlene Inemwin MOSES (since 10 February 2006)
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)

the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji, currently Ambassador Frankie A. REED, is accredited to Nauru

blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean, 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

name: "Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru)
lyrics/music: Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS
note: adopted 1968

Revenues of this tiny island traditionally have come from exports of phosphates. Few other resources exist, with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. In 2005 an Australian company entered into an agreement to exploit remaining supplies. Primary reserves of phosphates were exhausted and mining ceased in 2006, but mining of a deeper layer of "secondary phosphate" in the interior of the island began the following year. The secondary phosphate deposits may last another 30 years. 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 faced virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments. Nauru lost further revenue in 2008 with the closure of Australia''s refugee processing center, making it almost totally dependent on food imports and foreign aid. Housing, hospitals, and other capital plant are deteriorating. The cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continues to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist with estimates of Nauru''s GDP varying widely.

$60 million (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 224

$NA

NA%

$5,000 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

agriculture: 6.1%
industry: 33%
services: 60.8% (2009 est.)

coconuts

phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

NA%

note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

90% (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

revenues: $13.5 million
expenditures: $13.5 million (2005)

1 July - 30 June

NA% (2011 est.)

$64,000 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220

phosphates

$20 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220

food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery

$33.3 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

35 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209

32.55 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114

1,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209

100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 172

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118

1,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204

1,075 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176

0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109

0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 179

168,800 Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196

1,900 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 219

6,800 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 213

general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

1 government-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand sent via satellite or on videotape; 1 government-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, utilizes Australian and British programs (2009)

.nr

8,162 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 138

1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 229

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)

total: 30 km
country comparison to the world: 219
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 6 km (2002)

major seaport(s): Nauru

no regular military forces (2012)

males age 16-49: 2,542 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49: 1,823
females age 16-49: 2,034 (2010 est.)

male: 74
female: 78 (2010 est.)

Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia