| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island |
| Capital: |
no official capital; government offices in Yaren District |
| Location: |
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
0 32 S, 166 55 E |
| Area: |
total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land
Boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
30 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February) |
| Terrain: |
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
phosphates, fish |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
republic |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren |
| Independence |
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship) |
| National
Holiday: |
Independence Day, 31 January (1968) |
| Constitution: |
29 January 1968 |
| Legal
System; |
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law |
| Suffrage |
20 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Supreme Court |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader NA] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
13,048 (July 2005 est.) |
| 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.) |
| Median age: |
total: 20.24 years
male: 19.76 years
female: 20.78 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan |
| Ethnic groups: |
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8% |
| Religions: |
Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic) |
| Languages: |
Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
1,900 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
1,500 (2002) |
| 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) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Internet country
code: |
.nr |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
300 (2002) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 30 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 6 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
Nauru |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
|
| Heliports: |
|
