Fun Easy English - Travel abroad Nauru.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Nauru

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

Nauru, a small single-island nation in the South Pacific, is located about 25 miles south of the equator. It is a constitutional republic with a parliamentary system of government. Tourist facilities are available on a limited basis. Yaren, the capital, has an international airport.

GEOGRAPHY

Nauru is a small oval-shaped island in the western Pacific Ocean, located just 42 kilometers (26 mi.) south of the Equator. It is one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean--the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia. Until recently Nauru's phosphate reserves were thought to be nearly depleted, but there are some indications that the potential for continued productive mining might exist. Phosphate mining in the central plateau has left a barren terrain of jagged, prehistoric coral pinnacles, up to 15 meters (49 ft.) high. A century of mining has stripped and devastated four-fifths of the total land area. Efforts to rehabilitate the mined-out areas have been unsuccessful.

The island is surrounded by a coral reef, exposed at low tide and dotted with pinnacles. The reef is bounded seaward by deep water, inside by a narrow sandy beach. A 150-300-meter (492-984 ft.) wide fertile coastal strip lies landward from the coast, ending in forested coral cliffs that rise to the now mined-out central plateau. The highest point of the plateau is 65 meters (213 ft.) above sea level. The island's only fertile areas are within the narrow coastal belt, where there are coconut palms, pandanus trees, and indigenous hardwoods, and the land surrounding the inland Buada lagoon on the central plateau, where bananas, pineapples, and some vegetables are grown. Some secondary vegetation has begun to cover the scarred central plateau and its coral pinnacles.

PEOPLE

Nauruans descended from Polynesian and Micronesian seafarers. Grouped in clans or tribes, early Nauruans traced their descent on the female side. They believed in a female deity, Eijebong, and a spirit land, also an island, called Buitani. Two of the 12 original tribal groups became extinct during the 20th century. Because of poor diet, alcohol abuse, and a sedentary lifestyle, Nauru has one of the world's highest levels of diabetes, renal failure and heart disease, exceeding 40% of the population.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS

A passport, visa, onward/return ticket, and proof of hotel bookings (or sponsorship from a resident of Nauru) are required for tourists. Tourist visas are issued for a maximum of thirty days. Travelers transiting with valid ticket for an onward destination do not require a visa, provided that the first connecting flight departs within three days of arrival in Nauru. Business visitors must have a visa and a local sponsor. Nauru collects a departure tax that must be paid in cash and in Australian dollars. For more information on entry/exit requirements, travelers may wish to contact the Nauru Consulate General in Melbourne, Australia, at telephone (613) 9664-4600, fax (613) 9650-6479. The address is: Level 7, 128 Exhibition St., Melbourne, Victoria 3000. E-mail contact is: consulate@nauru.com.au.

QUICK FACTS

Geography
Area: 21 sq. km.
Cities: Capital--no official capital; government offices in Yaren District.
Terrain: Rough beach rises to a fertile but narrow ring around a raised, prehistoric coral reef plateau, studded with coral pinnacles exposed by phosphate mining.
Climate: Equatorial; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February); unreliable rainfall and prone to El Nino-linked droughts.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Nauruan(s).
Population (2006): 9,275.
Age structure: 38.2% below 14; 1.9% over 65.
Annual growth rate (1992-2002): 2.5%.
Ethnic groups: Nauruan 95%, Chinese 3%, other Pacific Islander 1%, European 1%.
Religions: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic).
Languages: Nauruan, English.
Education (2004): Literacy--97%.
Health (2002): Life expectancy (2004 est.) women 56.9 yrs.; men 49.0 yrs.; Infant mortality rate--10.14/1,000.
Work force (2004 est.): 4,300.
Unemployment (2004 est.): 50%.

Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: 1968.
Independence: January 31, 1968.
Branches: Executive--president and cabinet. Legislative--unicameral Parliament. Judicial--Supreme Court, Appellate Court, District Court, and Family Court.
Administrative subdivisions: 14 districts.
Political party: Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party.
Central government budget (2006/2007 est.): $17.6 million.
Suffrage: Universal at age 20.

Economy (all figures in U.S. $)
GDP (2005/2006 est.): $25.2 million.
Per capita GDP (2005/2006 est.): $2,739.
Avg. inflation rate (2005 est.): -3-4%.
Industry: Types--phosphate mining.
Trade: Exports (2004 est.)--$640,000; phosphates. Major export markets--Japan. Imports (2004 est.)--$19.8 million; food, fuel, manufactures. Major import sources--Australia.
Currency: Australian dollar (A$).

USEFUL LINKS

U.S. Government