Region: Oceania-Micronesia

Capital: no official capital; government offices in Yaren District

Population: 13,770 (July 2008 est.)

Surface area: 21 sq km

Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)

GDP per capita: Purchasing power parity US $5,000 (2005 est.)

Background:
The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.

Economy – Overview
Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian company in 2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds, the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments. In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.

Major Export Commodities: phosphates

Remittances: Not available

Human Development Index 2007/2008 ranking: Not ranked

Official Development Assistance and Major Development Partners: Net ODA in 2006 was US $17.26 million. Major development partners include Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

Total External Debt: US $33.3 million (2002)

United Nations membership date: 14 September 1999

New York Mission:
Permanent Mission of Nauru to the United Nations
800 Second Ave, Suite 400A
New York, N.Y. 10017 USA
Telephone: 212-937-0074
Fax: 212-937-0079
Website: http://www.un.int/nauru