Nauru - NR - NRU - NRU - Australia and Oceania

embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

0-14 years: 30.13% (male 1,513/female 1,455)

15-64 years: 65.65% (male 3,183/female 3,285)

65 years and over: 4.22% (2023 est.) (male 141/female 275)

0 32 S, 166 55 E

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

periodic droughts

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Nauru was inhabited by Micronesian and Polynesian settlers by around 1000 B.C., and the island was divided into 12 clans. Nauru developed in relative isolation because ocean currents made landfall on the island difficult. As a result, the Nauruan language does not clearly resemble any other in the Pacific region. In 1798, British sea captain John FEARN became the first European to spot the island. By 1830, European whalers used Nauru as a supply stop, trading firearms for food. In 1878, a civil war erupted on the island, reducing the population by more than a third. Germany forcibly annexed Nauru in 1888 by holding the 12 chiefs under house arrest until they consented to the annexation. Germany banned alcohol, confiscated weapons, instituted strict dress codes, and brought in Christian missionaries to convert the population. Phosphate was discovered in 1900 and heavily mined, although Nauru and Nauruans earned about one tenth of one percent of the profits from the phosphate deposits.

Australian forces captured Nauru from Germany during World War I, and in 1919, it was placed under a joint Australian-British-New Zealand mandate with Australian administration. Japan occupied Nauru during World War II and used its residents as forced labor elsewhere in the Pacific while destroying much of the infrastructure on the island. After the war, Nauru became a UN trust territory under Australian administration. Recognizing the phosphate stocks would eventually be depleted, in 1962, Australian Prime Minister Robert MENZIES offered to resettle all Nauruans on Curtis Island in Queensland, but Nauruans rejected that plan and opted for independence, which was achieved in 1968. In 1970, Nauru purchased the phosphate mining assets, and income from the mines made Nauruans among the richest people in the world. However, Nauru subsequently began a series of unwise investments in buildings, musical theater, and an airline. Nauru sued Australia in 1989 for the damage caused by mining when Australia administered the island. Widespread phosphate mining officially ceased in 2006.

Nauru went nearly bankrupt by 2000 and tried to rebrand itself as an offshore banking haven, although it ended that practice in 2005. In 2001, Australia set up the Nauru Regional Processing Center (NRPC), an offshore refugee detention facility, paying Nauru per person at the center. The NRPC was closed in 2008 but reopened in 2012. The number of refugees has steadily declined since 2014, and the remaining people were moved to a hotel in Brisbane, Australia, in 2020, effectively shuttering the NRPC. However, in 2023, Australia agreed to continue funding NRPC for two years and restarted settling asylees in the center in mid-2023.  The center remains the Government of Nauru’s largest source of income.  In a bid for Russian humanitarian aid, in 2008, Nauru recognized the breakaway Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

limited natural freshwater resources, roof storage tanks that collect rainwater and desalination plants provide water; a century of intensive phosphate mining beginning in 1906 left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland; cadmium residue, phosphate dust, and other contaminants have caused air and water pollution with negative impacts on health; climate change has brought on rising sea levels and inland water shortages

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

NA

lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA

skipjack, calcium phosphates, tuna, cars, delivery trucks, low-voltage protection equipment (2021)

Thailand 49%, Saudi Arabia 14%, Philippines 11%, South Korea 8%, India 7% (2021)

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

coconuts, tropical fruit, vegetables, pork, eggs, pig offals, pig fat, poultry, papayas, cabbages

no regular military forces; the police force, under the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, maintains internal security and, as necessary, external security (2024)

revenues: $195 million (2020 est.)

expenditures: $158 million (2020 est.)

name: no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District

time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

refined petroleum, tugboats, cigarettes, cars, construction vehicles (2021)

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

30 km

history: effective 29 January 1968

amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament; amendments to constitutional articles, such as the republican form of government, protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and authorities of the executive and legislative branches, also require two-thirds majority of votes in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2018

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
1.442 (2022 est.)
1.331 (2021 est.)
1.453 (2020 est.)
1.439 (2019 est.)
1.338 (2018 est.)

chief of state: President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament for 3-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 October 2023 (next to be held in 2026)

election results: 2023: David ADEAGN elected president over Delvin THOMA, 10-8

1 July - 30 June

blue with a narrow, horizontal, gold 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 gold stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru; the star's white color represents phosphate, the basis of the island's wealth

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

phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several justices); note - in late 2017, the Nauruan Government revoked the 1976 High Court Appeals Act, which had allowed appeals beyond the Nauruan Supreme Court, and in early 2018, the government formed its own appeals court

judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president to serve until age 65

subordinate courts: District Court, Family Court

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 20% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 20% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0% (2018 est.)

other: 80% (2018 est.)

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

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

noun: Nauruan(s)

adjective: Nauruan

phosphates, fish

Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind the Holy See (Vatican City) and Monaco; it is the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the the world's smallest independent republic; situated just 53 km south of the Equator, 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

upper-middle-income Pacific island country; phosphate resource exhaustion made island interior uninhabitable; licenses fishing rights; houses Australia’s Regional Processing Centre; former tax haven; largely dependent on foreign subsidies

Nauru does not have formal political parties; alliances within the government are often formed based on extended family ties

major seaport(s): Nauru

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

general assessment: relies on satellite as the primary Internet service provider and mobile operator; internet connectivity on the island is very limited and unstable due to the vulnerability of the network infrastructure to bad weather and limited network coverage, with several blind spots (2022)

domestic: fixed-line 0 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscribership approximately 80 per 100 (2021)

international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

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

parliamentary republic

under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia

Nauru has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Nauru's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2023)

conventional long form: Republic of Nauru

conventional short form: Nauru

local long form: Republic of Nauru

local short form: Nauru

former: Pleasant Island

etymology: the island name may derive from the Nauruan word "anaoero" meaning "I go to the beach"

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

Oceania

0 sq km (2022)

chief of mission: Ambassador Margo DEIYE (since 1 December 2021)

chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Third Floor, New York, NY 10017

telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074

FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079

email address and website:
nauru@onecommonwealth.org

https://www.un.int/nauru/

.nr

$151.648 million (2022 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

urban population: 100% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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 (2019)

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: NA

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: NA

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

name: "Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru)

lyrics/music: Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS

note: adopted 1968

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

1.35 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

frigatebird, calophyllum flower; national colors: blue, yellow, white

extensive phosphate mining made approximately 90% of the island unsuitable for farming; most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 45,457 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7.94 million (2018) mt-km

C2

improved: urban: 96.3% of population

rural: NA

total: 96.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 3.7% of population

rural: NA

total: 3.7% of population (2017 est.)

Nauruan 94.6%, I-Kiribati 2.2%, Fijian 1.3%, other 1.9% (2021 est.)

Protestant 60.4% (Nauruan Congregational 34.7%, Assemblies of God 11.6%, Pacific Light House 6.3%, Nauru Independent 3.6%, Baptist 1.5, Seventh Day Adventist 1.3%, other Protestant 1.4%), Roman Catholic 33.9%, other 4.2%, none 1.3%, no answer 0.3% (2021 est.)

Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes Gilbertese 2% and Chinese 2%) (2011 est.)

note: data represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12%

Australia 36%, Taiwan 16%, China 12%, Japan 12%, Nigeria 7% (2021)

stateless persons: 140 (2022)

household consumption: 98% (2016 est.)

government consumption: 37.6% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 42.2% (2016 est.)

exports of goods and services: 11.2% (2016 est.)

imports of goods and services: -89.1% (2016 est.)

highest point: Command Ridge 70 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

NA

12% of GDP (2020)

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

total dependency ratio: 69.9

youth dependency ratio: 66

elderly dependency ratio: 3.9

potential support ratio: 25.8 (2021)

electrification - total population: 100% (2021)

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 6,192 tons (2016 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.05 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)

production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 400 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

1.27 (2023 est.)

59.6% (2023 est.)

4.99% of GDP (2018 est.)
9.46% of GDP (2017 est.)
12.04% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

NA

total: 26.6% (2013)

male: 20.9%

female: 37.5%

-10.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

total: 27.5 years (2023 est.)

male: 26.9 years

female: 28.2 years

$33.3 million (2004 est.)

449 bbl/day (2015 est.)

62% of GDP (2017 est.)
65% of GDP (2016 est.)

2.58 children born/woman (2023 est.)

23% (2011 est.)
90% (2004 est.)

9,852 (2023 est.)

-9.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

total: 10,920 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 84% (2021 est.)

66,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 66,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total: 21 sq km

land: 21 sq km

water: 0 sq km

44.35% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$139.656 million (2022 est.)
$137.491 million (2021 est.)
$133.161 million (2020 est.)

note: data in 2017 dollars

total: 30 km

paved: 24 km

unpaved: 6 km (2002)

1 (2024)

total: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 10,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

34.8 (2012 est.)

5.1% (2017 est.)
8.2% (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

$8.406 million (2018 est.)
$14.11 million (2017 est.)
$2.079 million (2016 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$11,000 (2022 est.)
$11,000 (2021 est.)
$10,800 (2020 est.)

note: data in 2017 dollars

total: 950 (2010 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2010 est.)

total: 48.5% (2020 est.)

male: 47.8% (2020 est.)

female: 49.1% (2020 est.)

61% (2016)

0 Btu/person (2019 est.)

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

20.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 15,000 kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 34.216 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 0 kWh (2019 est.)

total: 6 (2023)

by type: other 6

NA

$94.2 million (2021 est.)
$103 million (2020 est.)
$88.2 million (2019 est.)

$187 million (2021 est.)
$105 million (2020 est.)
$32.7 million (2019 est.)

total subscriptions: (2018 est.) 0

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2018 est.) 0

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

total: 2.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 1.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total population: 68.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 64.7 years

female: 72 years

1.57% (2022 est.)
3.25% (2021 est.)
4.24% (2020 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

4.3% (2014 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture: 6.1% (2009 est.)

industry: 33% (2009 est.)

services: 60.8% (2009 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

7.1% of GDP (2021) NA

0.42% (2023 est.)

description: unicameral Parliament (19 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote using the "Dowdall" counting system by which voters rank candidates on their ballots; members serve 3-year terms)

elections:
last held on 24 September 2022 (next to be held in September 2025)

election results:
percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 19; composition as of February 2024 - men 17, women 2, percentage women 10.5%