Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Natural resources: phosphates
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage
tanks collect rainwater; phosphate mining threatens limited remaining
land resources
natural hazards: periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Marine Dumping; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea
Note: Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator
@Nauru:People
Population: 10,149 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 1.33% (1995 est.)