Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru
Party (informal) [leader NA]; Naoero Amo (Nauru First) Party [leader
NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW,
Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Nauru does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a UN office
at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, New York 10017; telephone:
(212) 937-0074
consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji
is accredited to Nauru
Flag description:
blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and
a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side;
the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator
(the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original
tribes of Nauru
Economy Nauru
Economy - overview:
Revenues of this tiny island have come from exports of phosphates,
but reserves are expected to be exhausted within a few years.
Phosphate production has declined since 1989, as demand has fallen
in traditional markets and as the marginal cost of extracting the
remaining phosphate increases, making it less internationally
competitive. While phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest
per capita incomes in the Third World, few other resources exist
with most necessities being imported, including fresh water from
Australia. 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 have been invested in trust
funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's
economic future. The government has been borrowing heavily from the
trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To cut costs the government has
called for a freeze on wages, a reduction of over-staffed public
service departments, privatization of numerous government agencies,
and closure of some overseas consulates. In recent years Nauru has
encouraged the registration of offshore banks and corporations. Tens
of billions of dollars have been channeled through their accounts.
Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with
estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $60 million (2001 est.)