Part 520

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island

Data code: NR

Type of government: republic

Capital: no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

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

Independence: 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, New Zealand-, 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 and head of government: President Lagumot HARRIS (since 22 November 1995) was elected by Parliament; election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998) cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president from among members of Parliament

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament: election last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (18 total) independents 18

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: AsDB, C (special), ESCAP, ICAO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US: Nauru does not have an embassy in the US

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

Flag: 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

Economy -------

Economic overview: Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World. Few other resources exist, so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition. However, dividends from the trusts have declined sharply since 1990 and the government has been borrowing from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $100 million (1993 est.)

GDP real growth rate: NA%

GDP per capita: $10,000 (1993 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): -3.6% (1993)

Labor force: by occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 0%

Budget: revenues: $23.8 million expenditures: $69.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93)