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Nauru

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Oceania
(Australasia)

   Ripublik Naoero
   Republic of Nauru

   Flag of Nauru Coat of arms of Nauru
   Flag          Coat of arms
   Motto: "God's Will First"
   Anthem: Nauru Bwiema
   Location of Nauru
   Capital Yaren^1
   0°32′S 166°55′E
   Largest city Yaren
   Official languages English, Nauruan
   Government Republic
    - President Ludwig Scotty
   Independence
    - from the Australia, NZ, and UK-administered UN trusteeship. 31
   January 1968
   Area
    - Total 21 km² ( 228th)
   8.1 sq mi
    - Water (%) negligible
   Population
    - July 2005 estimate 13,005 ( 220th)
    - Density 621/km² ( 13th)
   1,608/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $60 million ( 224th)
    - Per capita $5,000 (2005 est.) ( 132nd)
   HDI  (2003) n/a (unranked) ( n/a)
   Currency Australian dollar ( AUD)
   Time zone ( UTC+12)
   Internet TLD .nr
   Calling code +674
   ^1 Yaren is the largest settlement and often cited as capital.

   Nauru (pronounced /næˈuː.ɹuː/), officially the Republic of Nauru, is an
   island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. The nearest neighbour
   is Banaba Island in the Republic of Kiribati, 300 km due east. Nauru is
   the world's smallest island nation, covering just 21  km² (8.1
   sq. mi), the smallest independent republic, and the only republican
   state in the world without an official capital.

   Initially inhabited by Micronesian and Polynesian peoples, Nauru was
   annexed by Germany in the late 19th century, and became a mandate
   territory administered by Australia, New Zealand, and the United
   Kingdom following World War I. The island was occupied by Japan during
   World War II, and after the war entered into trusteeship again. Nauru
   achieved independence in 1968.

   Nauru is a phosphate rock island, and its primary economic activity
   since 1907 has been the export of phosphate mined from the island. With
   the exhaustion of phosphate reserves, its environment severely degraded
   by mining, and the trust established to manage the island's wealth
   significantly reduced in value, the government of Nauru has resorted to
   unusual measures to obtain income. In the 1990s, Nauru briefly became a
   tax haven and money laundering centre. Since 2001, it has accepted aid
   from the Australian government; in exchange for this aid, Nauru houses
   an 'offshore' detention centre that holds and processes asylum seekers
   trying to enter Australia. (As of October 2006, the only remaining
   detainee is Mohammed Sagar.)

History

   Nauru annexed in 1888 by Germany.
   Enlarge
   Nauru annexed in 1888 by Germany.

   Nauru was first settled by Micronesian and Polynesian peoples at least
   3,000 years ago. There were traditionally 12 clans or tribes on Nauru,
   which are represented in the 12-pointed star in the nation's flag. The
   Nauruan people called their island "Naoero"; the word "Nauru" was later
   created from "Naoero" so that English speakers could easily pronounce
   the name. Nauruans traced their descent on the female side. Naurans
   subsisted on coconut and pandanus fruit, and caught juvenile ibija
   fish, acclimated them to fresh water conditions and raised them in
   Buada Lagoon, providing an additional reliable source of food.
   Traditionally, only men were permitted to fish on the reef, and did so
   from canoes or by using trained man-of-war hawks.

   British Captain John Fearn, a whale hunter, became the first Westerner
   to visit the island in 1798, and named it Pleasant Island. From around
   the 1830s, Nauruans had contact with Europeans from whaling ships and
   traders who replenished their supplies at the island. Around this time,
   beachcombers and deserters began to live on the island. The islanders
   traded food for alcoholic toddy and firearms; the firearms were used
   during the 10-year war which began in 1878 and resulted in a reduction
   of the population from 1400 to 900 persons. The island was annexed by
   Germany in 1888 and incorporated into Germany's Marshall Islands
   Protectorate; they called the island Nawodo or Onawero. The arrival of
   the Germans ended the war; social changes brought about by the war
   established Kings as rulers of the island, the most widely known being
   King Auweyida. Christian missionaries from the Gilbert Islands also
   arrived at the island in 1888.

   Phosphate was discovered on the island in 1900 by prospector Albert
   Ellis and the Pacific Phosphate Company started to exploit the reserves
   in 1906 by agreement with Germany; they exported their first shipment
   in 1907. Following the outbreak of World War I, the island was captured
   by Australian forces in 1914. After the war, the League of Nations gave
   the UK a trustee mandate over the territory, which it agreed to share
   with Australian and New Zealand in 1923. The three governments signed a
   Nauru Island Agreement in 1919, creating a board known as the British
   Phosphate Commission (BPC), which took over the rights to phosphate
   mining.
   Nauru Island under attack by B-24 Liberator bombers of the US Seventh
   Air Force.
   Enlarge
   Nauru Island under attack by B-24 Liberator bombers of the US Seventh
   Air Force.

   During World War II Nauru was occupied by Japan from August 1942. The
   Japanese-built airfield on the island was bombed in March 1943,
   preventing food supplies from reaching the island. The Japanese
   deported 1,200 Nauruans to work as labourers in the Chuuk islands,
   where 463 died. The island was liberated on September 13, 1945 when the
   Australian warship HMAS Diamantina approached the island and Japanese
   forces surrendered. Arrangements were made by the BPC to repatriate
   Nauruans from Chuuk, and they were returned to Nauru by the BPC ship
   Trienza in January 1946. In 1947, a trusteeship was approved by the
   United Nations, and Australia, NZ and the UK again became trustees of
   the island. Nauru became self-governing in January 1966, and following
   a two-year constitutional convention, became independent in 1968, led
   by founding president Hammer DeRoburt. In 1967, the people of Nauru
   purchased the assets of the British Phosphate Commissioners, and in
   June 1970, control passed to the locally owned Nauru Phosphate
   Corporation. Income from the exploitation of phosphate gave Nauruans
   one of the highest living standards in the Pacific.

   In 1989 the country took legal action against Australia in the
   International Court of Justice over Australia's actions during its
   administration of Nauru, in particular, Australia's failure to remedy
   the environmental damage caused by phosphate mining. The action led to
   a sizeable out-of-court settlement to rehabilitate the mined-out areas
   of Nauru. Diminishing phosphate reserves has led to economic decline in
   Nauru, which has brought increasing political instability since the
   mid-1980s. Nauru had 17 changes of administration between 1989 and
   2003. Between 1999 and 2003, a series of no-confidence votes and
   elections resulted in two people, René Harris and Bernard Dowiyogo,
   leading the country for alternating periods. Dowiyogo died in office in
   March 2003 and Ludwig Scotty was elected President. Scotty was
   re-elected to serve a full term in October 2004.

   In recent times, a significant proportion of the country's income has
   come in the form of aid from Australia. In 2001, the MV Tampa, a ship
   which had rescued 460 refugees (from various countries including
   Afghanistan) from a stranded 20-metre (65  ft) boat and was seeking to
   dock in Australia, was diverted to Nauru as part of the Pacific
   Solution. Nauru continues to operate the Nauru detention centre in
   exchange for Australian aid. However, as of November 2005, Australian
   media reported that only two asylum seekers remained on Nauru.

Politics

   Nauru is a republic with a parliamentary system of government. The
   president is both the head of state and of government. An 18-member
   unicameral parliament is elected every three years. The parliament
   elects a president from its members, who appoints a cabinet of five to
   six members. Nauru does not have a formal structure for political
   parties; candidates typically stand as independents. 15 of the 18
   members of the current parliament are independents, and alliances
   within the government are often formed on the basis of extended family
   ties. Three parties that have been active in Nauruan politics are the
   Democratic Party, Nauru First and the Centre Party.

   Since 1992, local government has been the responsibility of the Nauru
   Island Council (NIC). The NIC has limited powers and functions as an
   advisor to the national government on local matters. The role of the
   NIC is to concentrate its efforts on local activities relevant to
   Nauruans. An elected member of the Nauru Island Council cannot
   simultaneously be a member of parliament. Land tenure in Nauru is
   unusual: all Nauruans have certain rights to all land on the island,
   which is owned by individuals and family groups; government and
   corporate entities do not own land and must enter into a lease
   arrangement with the landowners to use land. Non-Nauruans cannot own
   lands.

   Nauru has a complex legal system. The Supreme Court, headed by the
   Chief Justice, is paramount on constitutional issues. Other cases can
   be appealed to the two-judge Appellate Court. Parliament cannot
   overturn court decisions, but Appellate Court rulings can be appealed
   to the High Court of Australia; in practice, this rarely happens. Lower
   courts consist of the District Court and the Family Court, both of
   which are headed by a Resident Magistrate, who also is the Registrar of
   the Supreme Court. Finally, there also are two quasi-courts: the Public
   Service Appeal Board and the Police Appeal Board, both of which are
   presided over by the Chief Justice.

   Nauru has no armed forces; under an informal agreement, defence is the
   responsibility of Australia. There is a small police force under
   civilian control.

Districts

   Map of Nauru.
   Enlarge
   Map of Nauru.

   Nauru is divided into fourteen administrative districts which are
   grouped into eight electoral constituencies. The districts are:
     * Aiwo
     * Anabar
     * Anetan
     * Anibare
     * Baiti
     * Boe
     * Buada

                * Denigomodu
                * Ewa
                * Ijuw
                * Meneng
                * Nibok
                * Uaboe
                * Yaren

Foreign relations

   Following independence in 1968, Nauru joined the Commonwealth as a
   Special Member, and became a full member in 2000. Nauru was admitted to
   the Asian Development Bank in 1991 and to the UN in 1999. It is a
   member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the South Pacific Regional
   Environmental Program, the South Pacific Commission, and the South
   Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission. The US Atmospheric Radiation
   Measurement Program operates a climate-monitoring facility on the
   island.

   Nauru and Australia have close diplomatic ties. In addition to informal
   defence arrangements, the September 2005 Memorandum of Understanding
   between the two countries provides Nauru with financial aid and
   technical assistance, including a Secretary of Finance to prepare
   Nauru's budget, and advisers on health and education. This aid is in
   return for Nauru's housing of asylum seekers while their applications
   for entry into Australia are processed. Nauru uses the Australian
   dollar as its official currency.

   Nauru has used its position as a member of the UN to gain financial
   support from both Taiwan and the People's Republic of China by changing
   its position on the political status of Taiwan. During 2002, Nauru
   signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations with the People's
   Republic of China on 21 July 2002. This move followed China's promise
   to provide more than US$60 million in aid. In response, Taiwan severed
   diplomatic relations with Nauru two days later. Nauru later
   re-established links with Taiwan on 14 May 2005, and diplomatic ties
   with China were officially severed on May 31, 2005; however, the PRC
   continues to maintain a diplomatic presence in the island nation.

Geography

   Nauru is a small, oval-shaped island in the western Pacific Ocean, 42
   km (26 mi.) south of the Equator. The island is surrounded by a coral
   reef, exposed at low tide and dotted with pinnacles. The reef is bound
   seaward by deep water, and inside by a sandy beach. The presence of the
   reef has prevented the establishment of a seaport, although sixteen
   artificial canals have been made in the reef to allow small boats to
   access the island. A 150–300 m (about 500–1000 ft.) wide fertile
   coastal strip lies landward from the beach. Coral cliffs surround the
   central plateau, which is known on the island as Topside. The highest
   point of the plateau is 65 m (213 ft.) above sea level. The only
   fertile areas are the narrow coastal belt, where coconut palms
   flourish. The land surrounding Buada Lagoon supports bananas,
   pineapples; vegetable, pandanus trees and indigenous hardwoods such as
   the tomano tree are cultivated. The population of the island is
   concentrated in this coastal belt and around Buada Lagoon.
   An aerial image of Nauru in 2002 from the U.S. Department of Energy's
   Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program. Regenerated vegetation
   covers 63% of land that was mined.
   Enlarge
   An aerial image of Nauru in 2002 from the U.S. Department of Energy's
   Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program. Regenerated vegetation
   covers 63% of land that was mined.

   Nauru was one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific
   Ocean (the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in
   French Polynesia); however, the phosphate reserves are nearly depleted.
   Phosphate mining in the central plateau has left a barren terrain of
   jagged limestone pinnacles up to 15 m (49 ft.) high. A century of
   mining has stripped and devastated four-fifths of the land area. Mining
   has also had an impact on the surrounding Exclusive Economic Zone with
   40% of marine life considered to have been killed by silt and phosphate
   run off.

   There are limited natural fresh water resources on Nauru. Roof storage
   tanks collect rainwater, but islanders are mostly dependent on a
   single, aging desalination plant. Nauru's climate is hot and extremely
   humid year-round, because of the proximity of the land to the Equator
   and the ocean. The island is affected by monsoonal rains between
   November and February. Annual rainfall is highly variable and
   influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, with several recorded
   droughts. The temperature ranges between 26 and 35 °C (79 and 95 °F)
   during the day and between 25 and 28 °C (77 and 82 °F) at night. As an
   island nation, Nauru may be vulnerable to climate and sea level change,
   but to what degree is difficult to predict; at least 80% of the land
   area of Nauru is well elevated, but this area will be uninhabitable
   until the phosphate mining rehabilitation program is implemented.

   There are only sixty recorded vascular plant species native to the
   island, none of which is endemic. Coconut farming, mining and
   introduced species have caused serious disturbance to the native
   vegetation. There are no native land mammals; there are native birds,
   including the endemic Nauru Reed Warbler, insects and land crabs. The
   Polynesian Rat, cats, dogs, pigs and chickens have been introduced to
   the island.

Economy

   Limestone pinnacles remain after phosphate mining.
   Enlarge
   Limestone pinnacles remain after phosphate mining.
   A ship being loaded with phosphate in Nauru.
   Enlarge
   A ship being loaded with phosphate in Nauru.

   Nauru's economy depends almost entirely on declining phosphate
   deposits; there are few other resources, and most necessities are
   imported. Small-scale mining is still conducted by the NPC. The
   government places a percentage of the NPC's earnings in the Nauru
   Phosphate Royalties Trust. The Trust manages long-term investments,
   intended to support the citizens once the phosphate reserves have been
   exhausted. However, a history of bad investments, financial
   mismanagement, overspending and corruption has reduced the Trust's
   fixed and current assets. For example, Nauru House in Melbourne was
   sold in 2004 to finance debts and Air Nauru's last Boeing 737-400 was
   repossessed in December 2005. The value of the Trust is estimated to
   have shrunk from A$1,300 million in 1991 to A$138 million in 2002.
   Nauru currently lacks money to perform many of the basic functions of
   government, the national Bank of Nauru is insolvent, and GDP per capita
   has fallen to US$5,000 per annum.

   There are no personal taxes in Nauru, and the government employs 95% of
   those Nauruans who work; unemployment is estimated to be 90%. The Asian
   Development Bank notes that although the administration has a strong
   public mandate to implement economic reforms, in the absence of an
   alternative to phosphate mining, the medium-term outlook is for
   continued dependence on external assistance. The sale of deep-sea
   fishing rights may generate some revenue. Tourism is not a major
   contributor to the economy, because there are few facilities for
   tourists; the Menen Hotel and OD-N-Aiwo Hotel are the only hotels on
   the island.

   In the 1990s, Nauru became a tax haven and offered passports to foreign
   nationals for a fee. It became a favourite spot for the dirty money of
   the Russian mafia. A no-questions-asked policy enabled an estimated
   US$70bn dollars of assets belonging to Russian gangsters to be
   funnelled to Nauru. The inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force
   on Money Laundering (FATF) then identified Nauru as one of 15
   "non-cooperative" countries in its fight against money laundering.
   Under pressure from FATF, Nauru introduced anti-avoidance legislation
   in 2003, following which foreign hot money flowed out of the country.
   In October 2005, this legislation—and its effective enforcement—led the
   FATF to lift the non-cooperative designation.

Demographics

   Nauruan districts of Denigomodu and Nibok.
   Enlarge
   Nauruan districts of Denigomodu and Nibok.

   Of the island's 13,048 residents, 58% are Nauruan, 26% other Pacific
   Islanders, 8% Chinese and 8% Europeans. The official language of Nauru
   is Nauruan, a distinct Pacific island language. English is widely
   spoken and is the language of government and commerce.

   The main religion practised on the island is Christianity (two-thirds
   Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic). The Constitution provides for
   freedom of religion; however, the government restricts this right in
   some circumstances, and has restricted the practice of religion by The
   Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and members of Jehovah's
   Witnesses, most of whom are foreign workers employed by the Nauru
   Phosphate Corporation.

   An increased standard of living since independence has had some
   negative effects on the population. Nauruans are among the most obese
   people in the world, with 90% of adults overweight. Nauru has the
   world's highest level of type 2 diabetes, with more than 40% of the
   population affected. Other significant diet-related problems on Nauru
   include renal failure and heart disease. Life expectancy has fallen to
   58.0 years for males and 65.0 years for females.

   Literacy on the island is 97%, education is compulsory for children
   from six to 15 years of age (Years 1–10), and two non-compulsory years
   are taught (Years 11 and 12). There is a campus of the University of
   the South Pacific on the island; before the campus was built, students
   travelled to Australia for their university education.

Culture

   The 1999 Australian rules football grand final, played at Linkbelt Oval
   Enlarge
   The 1999 Australian rules football grand final, played at Linkbelt Oval

   Nauruans descended from Polynesian and Micronesian seafarers who
   believed in a female deity, Eijebong, and a spirit land, an island
   called Buitani. Two of the 12 original tribal groups became extinct in
   the 20th century. Angam Day, held on October 26 celebrates the recovery
   of the Nauruan population after the two world wars, both of which
   reduced the indigenous population to fewer than 1500. The displacement
   of the indigenous culture by colonial and contemporary, western
   influences is palpable. Little of the old customs have been preserved,
   although some forms of traditional music and arts and crafts, and some
   traditional methods of fishing are still practised.

   There is no daily news publication, although there are several weekly
   or fortnightly publications, including the Bulletin, the Central Star
   News and The Nauru Chronicle. There is a state-owned television
   station, Nauru Television (NTV) which broadcasts programs from New
   Zealand, and there is a state-owned non-commercial radio station, Radio
   Nauru, which carries items from Radio Australia and the BBC.

   Australian rules football is the most popular sport in Nauru; there is
   an elite national league with seven teams. All games are played at the
   island's only stadium, Linkbelt Oval. Other sports popular in Nauru
   include softball, cricket, golf, sailing and soccer. Nauru participates
   in the Commonwealth and Summer Olympic Games, where it has been
   successful in weightlifting; Marcus Stephen has been a prominent
   medallist and was elected to parliament in 2003.

   A traditional activity is catching noddy birds when they return from
   foraging at sea. At sunset, men stand on the beach ready to throw their
   lasso at the incoming birds. The Nauruan lasso is supple rope with a
   weight at the end. When a bird approaches, the lasso is thrown up, hits
   and or drapes itself over the bird, and then falls to the ground. The
   captured noddies are cooked and eaten.

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