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Location
Central Pacific.
Time
GMT + 12.
Area
21.3 sq km (8.2 sq miles).
Population
10,131 (2006 estimate).
Population Density
475.6 per sq km.
Capital
There is no capital. Government offices are in Yaren district. Population: 672 (1992).
Geography
Nauru, the world’s smallest republic, is an oval-shaped outcrop, situated in the Central Pacific, west of Kiribati, surrounded by a reef which is exposed at low tide. Although there is no deep-water harbour on the island, offshore moorings are reputedly the deepest in the world. A century of phosphate mining has stripped four-fifths of the land area, and has left the central plateau, which rises to 56m (213ft), infertile and unpopulated: a barren terrain of jagged coral pinnacles which stand 15m (49ft) high. The island has a fertile coastal strip 150 to 300m (492 to 984ft) wide, where there are coconut palms, pandanus trees and indigenous hardwoods such as the tomano. On the land surrounding Buada lagoon, bananas, pineapples and some vegetables are grown. Some secondary vegetation grows over the coral pinnacles which intersperse the island’s beaches.
Government
Republic. Gained independence from Australia in 1968.
Head of State
President Ludwig Scotty since 2004.
Recent History
Ludwig Scotty was re-elected as president following the October 2004 general elections. He had declared a state of emergency and dissolved parliament a month earlier. Currently, the president in Nauru is elected by his fellow MPs (who all stand as independents). However, it has been proposed that in future the electorate should choose the president.
In 2001, Nauru agreed to accommodate Australia-bound asylum seekers while their applications were being processed. In return, the Australian government granted Nauru millions of dollars in aid.
In 2001, Nauru agreed to accommodate Australia-bound asylum seekers while their applications were being processed. In return, the Australian government granted Nauru millions of dollars in aid.
Language
Nauruan and English are spoken.
Religion
Christian, mostly Nauruan Protestant Church. There is also a significant Roman Catholic minority.
Electricity
240 volts AC, 50Hz. Power cuts are common.
Social Conventions
The island has a casual atmosphere in which diplomacy and tact are always preferable to confrontation; European customs continue alongside local traditions.