Nauru

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Nauru's Information


Capital	Yaren
Languages	Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes I-Kiribati 2% and Chinese 2%)
Ethnic Groups	Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Religion	Protestant 60.4% (includes Nauru Congregational 35.7%, Assembly of God 13%, Nauru Independent Church 9.5%, Baptist 1.5%, and Seventh Day Adventist 0.7%), Roman Catholic 33%, other 3.7%, none 1.8%, unspecified 1.1% (2011 est.)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
Area	21.00 km²
Land Area	21.00 km²
Population	9,591.00
Location	Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
GDP(PPP)	$150,800,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$14,800.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main export is phosphates.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, and machinery.
Climate	Tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain	Sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

Where is Nauru?

Located in Oceania, Nauru is an island nation. It has a 30.00 km coastline.

The island nation of Nauru’s de facto capital city is Yaren which is located in the southern part of the island. Formerly known as Moqua the region was named after an important underground lake which provided much needed drinking water for the inhabitants during the turbulent years of World War II. Occupying an area of only 0.58 square miles Yaren is home to 747 people. The district has the status of being a de facto capital because Nauru has no official cities but is recognized by the United Nations as the country’s main district. The major landmark of Yaren is the Moqua Well, the underground lake for which the district is named after. Climate conditions on the island are hot and humid year round.

Geography

Nauru has a mean elevation of 0 m above sea level.

It has a tropical climate with a rainy season from November to February. Its terrain consists of sandy beaches, coral reefs, and phosphate plateaus.

Population

Nauru has a population of 9,591 making it the 222nd largest in the world.

Nauruan is the most commonly spoken as well as the official language. The major ethnic groups reported are Nauruan and other Pacific Islander. The majority of the country is Protestant Christian or Roman Catholic.

The official language of the Pacific Island nation of Nauru is Nauruan. Because of the influence of a variety of other languages such as German and Kiribati this native language has evolved and changed over the years. With sixteen or seventeen consonants and twelve vowels Nauruan once included many different regional dialects but after efforts by people such as Protestant missionaries Alois Kayser and Philip Delaporte the language became standardized with far fewer local dialects. 96% of the native residents of Nauru, or about 6,000 people, speak Nauran. When touring the island a couple of useful phrases to know are, “Inga wanga daroom?’ meaning where is the room and “Imeg i anor?” which translates to “Where is the beach?” Minority languages in Nauru include English, Korean, and Cantonese.

Government

Nauru is an independent country. It gained independence in 1968 from New Zealand, Australia, and United Kingdom administered United Nations trusteeship. Its constitution was last ratified in 1968.

The Pacific island nation of the Republic of Nauru has a government which operates as a non-partisan democracy under a parliamentary republic system. Under President Hammer DeRoburt Nauru gained its independence in 1968. The country is currently lead by President Baron Waqa who took office in 2011.The business of the government takes place in the Parliament Building located in the city of Yaren. The nation’s president lives in the State House, a building which was converted from a structure previously utilized as a detention center for Australian detainees. The President and nineteen members of Nauru’s legislature are elected by the voters of nation and serve for a period of three years.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Nauru's GDP is $150,800,000.00 (USD) with $14,800.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 221st largest economy and its citizens the 107th richest in the world. The currency of Nauru is the Dollar (AUD).

Its major imports include food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, and machinery.

Flag

Nauru is an island nation situated in the Pacific Ocean just one degree south of the Equator. Its flag serves to symbolize the country’s distinct geographical location with the color blue utilized to represent the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the yellow line bisecting the design referring to the Equator, an imaginary line which divides the planet into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. After gaining its independence a competition was held to select the country’s official flag. The winning design was publicly flown for the first time on January 31, 1968. Before that time Nauru was represented by the United Kingdom’s familiar red, white, and blue Union Jack as well as a flag representing the nation’s time under Trusteeship with Australia and the United Kingdom.