Part 587

Life expectancy at birth: total population : NA years male: NA years female: NA years

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

Literacy: NA

@Nauru:Government

Country name: conventional long form : Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island

Data code: NR

Government type: republic

National 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: President Kinza CLODUMAR (since 8 February 1997); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government : President Kinza CLODUMAR (since 8 February 1997); 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 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA 2000) election results : Kinza CLODUMAR elected president; percent of Parliament vote - NA note: President CLODUMAR is the country's fifth president in five months

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 18 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 1998) election results : percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: none

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

Diplomatic representation in the US: Nauru does not have an embassy in the US consulate(s) : Agana (Guam)

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

Flag description: 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

Economy - 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, but incomes probably will drop sharply in the future. 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 heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. In an effort to stem further escalation of fiscal problems, the FY96/97 budget calls for a freeze on government wages for two years, a reduction of over-staffed public service departments, drastic cutbacks in hiring new government staff, privatization of numerous government agencies, and closure of some overseas consulates.

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