Nauru, the official name is the Republic of Nauru (naur.
Repubrikin Naoero), formerly Pleasant Island, is a dwarf state on
the coral island of the same name in the Western Pacific Ocean with
an area of 21.3 km² and with a population of 10,084 people (2011
).
Nauru is located 42 km south of the equator. The nearest
island - Banaba - is located 288 km to the east and belongs to the
Republic of Kiribati. The island is located northwest of Tuvalu,
1300 km northeast of the Solomon Islands[9], northeast of Papua New
Guinea, southeast of the Federated States of Micronesia and south of
the Marshall Islands.
Nauru is the smallest independent
republic on Earth, the smallest island state, the smallest state
outside of Europe and one of two countries in the world (along with
Switzerland) that do not have an official capital (the unofficial
capital of Nauru is the city of Yaren, where the country's
parliament and airport are located). ).
Settled by people
from Micronesia and Polynesia in 1000 BC. e. At the end of the 19th
century, Nauru was annexed and declared a colony of the German
Empire. After World War I, Nauru became a League of Nations mandate
administered by Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
During World War II, Nauru was occupied by Japanese troops and was
liberated by the Allied advance across the Pacific. After the end of
the war, the country entered the guardianship of the UN. Nauru
gained independence in 1968 and became a member of the Pacific
Community in 1969.
The state is a member of the Commonwealth
of Nations. On September 14, 1999, the Republic of Nauru was
admitted to the UN. Nauru is a member of the South Pacific
Commission.
The origin of the word "Nauru" is not exactly known. As now, the
Nauruans in the distant past called the island "Naoero". The German
professor Paul Hambruch, who visited the island in 1909-1910, gave the
following explanation of the etymology of this word: according to him,
"Naoero" is an abbreviation of the phrase "a-nuau-a-a-ororo" (in modern
spelling - "A nuaw ea arourõ" ), which translates from the Nauruan
language as "I'm going to the seashore." However, the German Catholic
missionary Alois Kaiser, who lived on the island of Nauru for more than
30 years and intensively studied the Nauruan language, did not recognize
this interpretation, since in the local language, after the word
"seashore" used with the verb of motion, the demonstrative word "rodu"
should follow, which translates as "down". The Nauruans themselves
understand the word "seashore" as the deepest, low-lying place of the
island. It is used both in relation to land and to the sea. The very
fact that Hambruch does not take into account the word "rodu" in
explaining the etymology of the word "Naoero" suggests that his
assumptions are unfounded.
The island has other names: the
English colonists until 1888 called Nauru "Pleasant" island (eng.
Pleasant Island). The Germans called it "Nawodo" or "Onawero". Later,
the spelling of the word "Nauru" was changed to "Naoero" so that
Europeans would correctly pronounce the name of the country.
General geography
The island of Nauru lies in the western part
of the Pacific Ocean, about 42 km from the equator. The nearest
island - Banaba (Oshen) - is located 288 km east of Nauru and
belongs to the Republic of Kiribati. The area of the exclusive
economic coastal zone (EEZ) is 308,480 km², of which 570 km² is in
territorial waters. It borders Kiribati and the Marshall Islands -
the borders run along the borders of the exclusive economic zones.
Nauru Island is a raised coral atoll confined to the top of a
volcanic cone. The island has an oval shape, from the east the coast
is concave - there is the Gulf of Anibar. The coral reef that
surrounds the island has been carved into several channels to
facilitate access to the shore. The area of the island is 21.3
km², length - 6 km, width - 4 km. The length of the coastline is
about 18 km. The highest point - 65 meters (according to various
sources, 61-71 meters) - is located on the border of the districts
of Aivo and Buada. Approximately at a distance of 1 km from the
coast, the depth of the ocean reaches more than 1000 meters. This is
due to the fact that in this place there is a steep cliff that
reaches the ocean floor.
The surface of the island is a
narrow coastal plain 100-300 meters wide, surrounding a limestone
plateau, the height of which in the central part of Nauru reaches 30
meters. The plateau was previously covered with a thick layer of
phosphorites (Nauruite), which was formed, presumably, from the
excrement of seabirds. The island is bordered by a narrow reef
(width - about 120-300 meters), exposed at low tide and dotted with
reef peaks. There are 16 channels dug into the reef, allowing small
boats to approach directly the shore of the island.
In the interior of the island there are huge limestone battlements
and pyramids left over from phosphorite mining. The height of these
structures in some places exceeds 10 meters, and the quarry itself is a
huge labyrinth with many hollows and depressions. The narrow gauge
railway was built specifically to facilitate the delivery of mined
phosphorites to the port of the island. There is almost no soil cover in
the area of limestone blocks, so all rainwater does not linger on the
surface, but seeps through the rock.
Nauru Atoll has existed
since very ancient times. There is still a fringing reef of Tertiary
corals. According to geological studies, in the Paleogene, the surface
of the bottom of the modern lagoon of the island was 60 meters below the
current level of the World Ocean (that is, almost the entire island was
flooded with water). During the Miocene of the Neogene era, the atoll
was significantly elevated: the bottom of the modern lagoon was 10
meters higher than the current level of the World Ocean. Presumably at
the same time, the island of Nauru was subjected to severe erosion, as a
result of which changes in the karst relief occurred. Subsequently, the
central part of the island was under water, resulting in a shallow
lagoon in the center of the atoll. Sediments of various deposits rich in
phosphorus accumulated in numerous depressions and hollow spaces between
the reef limestone. The flooding of the island lasted for a rather long
period, so during this time the sediments in the lagoon underwent
significant changes: the available phosphorus compounds were enriched.
This was followed by a long period of land uplift of Nauru. The
surface of the lagoon was free of water, and plants began to appear on
the atoll. At present, the interior of Nauru rises 20-30 meters above
the ocean surface. Only one depression has survived on the island, the
Buada lagoon, which is completely isolated from ocean waters.
There are two controversial points in the above picture of geological
processes on the island of Nauru. First, the described process of
formation of the local relief is called into question. In addition to
the hypothesis that the relief was karstized and the reef limestone
dissolved in water, there is another point of view. On the coast and in
the rocky shallow waters, especially in the eastern part of the island,
there are a large number of preserved small stone columns that have been
eroded by sea waves for a very long period. It can be imagined how
strongly the shallow water areas were exposed to the ocean during the
uplift of the island. This space was not protected; in any case, the
formation of wide passages took place in the rounded reef. Further
uplift of the surface of Nauru only led to continued erosion, and
rainwater smoothed out the stone columns and battlements.
Secondly, the process of formation of phosphorites remains
controversial. In the quarries where the so-called "nauruite" was mined,
it can be seen that the layer of phosphorus deposits has a very complex
structure: numerous fragments of various heights are typical.
Consequently, the original accumulation of phosphorites, which usually
form from the dead mass of plankton, has been subjected to multiple
changes under the influence of erosion and change in occurrence.
In the complex and long history of the island, there were periods of
strong typhoons when debris was washed out. Similar changes can still be
observed on many Pacific atolls. On Nauru, a thin layer of soil was
constantly washed away, while nodules of phosphorites through which
rainwater seeped through did not disappear. Gradually, the hollow
landforms—primarily the depressions and crevices of the reef limestone
boulders—filled in with gravel and debris.
There is another
version of the origin of the phosphorite deposit on the island: in the
process of weathering of the rocks, depressions and sharp cones formed
on the surface, which served as an ideal place for nesting birds.
Gradually, the island became covered with excrement of seabirds. The
resulting guano gradually turned into calcium phosphate. The content of
phosphate in the rock of the island exceeds 90%.
The climate on Nauru is equatorial monsoon, hot and humid. The
average temperature is about +27.5 °C. During the daytime, it usually
fluctuates between +26 °C and +35 °C, and at night between +22 °C and
+28 °C. Daytime temperatures can reach +38‑41 °C. The average annual
rainfall is 2060 mm. There are dry years, and in some years up to 4500
mm of precipitation falls. Such significant fluctuations are explained
by the phenomena of El Niño and La Niña. The rainy season lasts from
November to February, when the western monsoons (cyclone season)
prevail. From March to October, northeasterly winds dominate. About 30
million m³ of water falls annually on the island with an almost complete
absence of surface runoff.
The government of Nauru is concerned
about the problem of global warming, since if the level of the World
Ocean rises, the island is threatened by flooding[16], so the republic
is trying to attract the attention of the world community, primarily
through the UN.
There are no rivers on the island of Nauru. In the southwestern part
of the island there is a small, slightly brackish Lake Buada, which is
fed by rainwater. Its level is 5 meters higher than the level of the
ocean surrounding Nauru.
One of the problems of the island is the
lack of fresh water. Against the backdrop of an increase in the
population of the country, it is becoming more acute every year. There
is only one desalination plant operating on the island, which runs on
electricity generated by Nauru's only power plant. However, due to the
very high cost of electricity, the desalination plant often stops
working. During rains, the population collects water in special
containers and then uses it for domestic needs, for watering gardens and
for livestock. During the dry season, water is brought in by ship from
Australia.
In Yaren County, there is a small underground lake,
Mokua Vel, connected to the Mokua cave system. Near the coast, on the
border of the Iyuv and Anabar districts, there is a cluster of small
lagoons, surrounded on all sides by land.
The soil layer on the
coast of Nauru is very thin - only 25 centimeters - and consists of more
coral fragments and gravel than sand. On the central plateau, there are
mainly thin soils on top of limestone blocks, consisting of organic
matter and sand or dolomite with a low content of phosphates. The arable
land layer is about 10-30 cm deep and overlies reddish-yellow subsoils
that vary in depth from 25 to 75 cm.
Due to the very small size of the island, its isolation from the
mainland and large archipelagos, Nauru has only 60 native vascular plant
species, none of which are endemic. Severe destruction after World War
II, monoculture expansion of the coconut palm and mining of phosphorites
led to the destruction of the vegetation cover in most of Nauru, which
has now been restored to 63% of the territory.
Coconut palms,
pandanus, ficus, laurel and other deciduous trees grow everywhere on the
island. Various types of shrub formations are also widespread. The
densest vegetation is confined to the coastal strip of the island with a
width of about 150-300 m and to the vicinity of Lake Buada. Hibiscus is
found in the interior of Nauru, as well as plantings of cherry, almond
and mango trees.
The low-lying areas of the island are covered
with dense vegetation, represented mainly by low-growing plants, while
woody plants predominate in the higher areas.
The fauna of Nauru
is poor. All mammals were introduced by people: small rats, cats, dogs
and pigs, as well as chickens. Reptiles are represented by lizards. The
avifauna is more diverse - only 6 species (waders, terns, petrels,
frigatebirds, pigeons). Nauru is home to only one species of songbird,
the Nauru warbler (Acrocephalus rehsei), endemic to the island. Lots of
insects and other invertebrates. The waters around the island are home
to a variety of sharks, sea urchins, shellfish, crabs and many poisonous
marine animals.
The island of Nauru was inhabited by Micronesians and Polynesians
about 3,000 years ago. According to one version, the first settlers
arrived in Nauru from the Bismarck Islands and represented the
Proto-Oceanic ethnos, even before its breakup into Melanesians,
Micronesians and Polynesians. Traditionally, the islanders took into
account their maternal lineage. Before the arrival of Europeans, the
population of the island of Nauru consisted of 12 tribes, which is
reflected in the twelve-pointed star on the modern flag and coat of arms
of the Republic of Nauru. On November 8, 1798, English captain John
Fearn, sailing from New Zealand to China, was the first among Europeans
to discover Nauru, who gave the island the name Pleasant Island, which
was actively used for 90 years. At that time, the formation of
medium-complex stratified social systems was observed on Nauru. The main
crops were coconut palm and pandanus. Nauruans fished on the reef, from
canoes and with the help of specially trained birds - large frigates.
They were also able to acclimatize hanos fish (lat. Chanos chanos) in
Lake Buada, providing themselves with an additional source of food.
Fishing was done exclusively by men.
In the 19th century, the
first Europeans began to settle on the island. These were runaway
convicts, deserters from whaling ships approaching the island, and later
individual merchants. Aliens (Europeans) brought venereal diseases to
the island, soldered the Nauruans, kindled internecine wars, which
became incomparably more bloody due to the use of firearms.
On
April 16, 1888, the island of Nauru was annexed by Germany and included
in the protectorate of the Marshall Islands under the control of the
Jaluit Company. The population of the island was taxed, but for some
time the island continued to live its secluded life. The situation
changed after large deposits of phosphorites were discovered here. In
1906, the Australian company Pacific Phosphate Company received
permission to develop them. This left a deep imprint on the entire
subsequent history of Nauru.
On August 17, 1914, the island of
Nauru was captured by Australian troops during the First World War. A
small military detachment was transferred on a ship owned by the Pacific
Phosphate Company.
The Australians were only slightly ahead of
the Japanese, who were also ordered to occupy the island rich in
phosphorites. The Australians pursued several goals: firstly, it was
important to disrupt the German Etappendienst system by capturing the
transmitting station on the island (the station was part of a network of
radio stations providing communication with German ships and ships);
secondly, the government of the Commonwealth was wary of the actions of
Japan, quite rightly suspecting the latter of expansionism. As a result
of the war in 1923, Nauru received the status of a mandated territory of
the League of Nations and was transferred under the joint administration
of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, but Australia carried out
administration. These countries bought out from a private company all
its rights to phosphorite deposits and created a joint company, British
Phosphate Commission, to develop phosphorite deposits and sell them.
Intensive development of phosphorites was carried out until the Second
World War, but only meager compensation was paid to the indigenous
people.
In early December 1940, the German auxiliary cruisers Komet and Orion
sank one Norwegian and several British merchant ships off Nauru. Some of
them were waiting for the loading of phosphorites off the coast of the
island. The smoke of the burning phosphorite carrier "Triadika" was
visible from the coast of Nauru. The island's radio station received
alarms sent by the Komata. The information received was transmitted by
radiogram to the headquarters of the Australian Navy. The wreckage of
sunken ships was thrown by the waves onto the coast of Nauru; almost all
the captured crew members and passengers were landed by the Germans on
December 21 on the island of Emirau in the Bismarck archipelago. Some of
them were able to quickly reach the city of Kavieng and inform the
Australians about the impending attack on the island of Nauru, but
Australia did not have warships capable of preventing the raid in this
area. On December 27, 1940, the Komet cruiser returned to Nauru to
bombard port facilities. Standing on the beam of the island, the Komet
raised the war flag of the Kriegsmarine and sent a radio signal with the
order to clear the piers and the oil storage, but the crowd of curious
people did not disperse, and only a warning shot dispersed the
islanders. After shelling, only ruins remained on the site of the port.
The resulting fire destroyed a large pile of phosphorites, already
purchased by the Japanese.
On August 25, 1942, the island of
Nauru was captured by Japan and liberated on September 13, 1945. During
the Japanese occupation, 1,200 Nauruans were deported to the Chuuk
Islands (then known as Truk) in the Caroline Islands, where 463 of them
died. In January 1946, the surviving Nauruans returned to their
homeland.
Since 1947, Nauru has become a United Nations Trust
Territory, while continuing to be jointly administered by Britain,
Australia and New Zealand; administration was again carried out by
Australia. In the mid-1970s, up to 2 million tons of phosphate rock were
mined and exported annually, worth A$24 million. In 1927, a popularly
elected Council of Leaders was created, which was endowed with only
limited deliberative powers. In the 1940s and 1950s, an independence
movement took shape on the island. In 1951, the Council of Chiefs was
transformed into the Nauruan Council of Local Government, an advisory
body to the colonial administration. By 1966, it was possible to achieve
the creation of local Legislative and Executive Councils, which ensured
internal self-government in Nauru. Independence was proclaimed on
January 31, 1968.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, in the
American Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, proposals were made to
create a single state on the territory of Micronesia and part of the
islands of Polynesia, which was supposed to include Nauru. However,
these plans were not destined to come true, and the trust territory
itself broke up into four states - the Marshall Islands, Palau, the
Northern Mariana Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.
The territory of Nauru is divided into 14 administrative districts, which are combined into 8 electoral districts.
natural movement
Based on the 2011 census, the island's population
is young and rapidly growing; the total population at the time of the
census was 10,084 inhabitants (5,105 men and 4,979 women), up from 9,233
inhabitants in 2006; The population has increased by 9.22% or 851 people
since 2006. The average annual growth rate during this period was
1.844%, that is, the annual population growth was within 170 people per
year, for the period 2006-2011. However, the current population growth
is much higher than 1.8% as Nauru's birth rate is increasing at around
29‰, which means an increase of about 300 people per year. At the
current high rate of growth, the population will double and reach 20,000
inhabitants in 2038.
There is an increase in the total fertility
rate due to the recovery of economic life, the total fertility rate
(TFR) increased from 3.4 births per woman in 2004 to 4.3 in 2010. In the
period 2007-2011, there were, on average, 350 births per year, which is
approximately equal to the birth rate of 35 ‰.
Lifespan
Life
expectancy at birth for the period 2007-2011 was 57.5 and 63.2 years for
men and women, respectively; for men, life expectancy has not changed,
while for women, life expectancy has increased by 5 years, when in the
period 2002-2006 the total life expectancy for men was 57.5 years, and
for women - 58.2 years.
Number and placement
According to the
October 2011 census, the population of the Republic of Nauru was 10,084
people, including 5,105 men and 4,979 women. Population density - 473.43
people. per km². In addition, on the territory of the island there is a
camp for refugees who tried to illegally enter Australia; at the end of
June 2016, it contained 442 people, including 338 men, 55 women and 49
children; a significant proportion of the refugees come from
Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
In 1968, at the time of independence,
the population was over 6,000 (6,057 in 1966).
The birth rate in
Nauru is estimated at 24.47 per 1000 inhabitants, the death rate is 6.65
per 1000, and the natural population growth is 1.781%. Infant mortality
in 2007 was estimated at 9.6 per 1,000 newborns.
The proportion
of children under 15 years old in 2007 was 37.8% (3813 people), of the
adult population from 15 to 60 years old - 59.3% (5983 people), over 60
years old - 2.9% (287 people) . The average life expectancy for men in
2011 was 65 years, for women - 75 years.
There is no official
capital or cities on the island. The President's residence is located in
the Meneng district, while government offices and parliament are located
in the Yaren district. The entire population of the island lives along
the coast, as well as around Lake Buada.
Sex and age structure
The registered resident population in 2011 consisted of 5,105 males and
4,979 females. Men outnumbered women by 126, resulting in a sex ratio of
103, meaning there were 103 men for every 100 women. Since 1992,
however, the sex ratio has steadily declined, with 105 men for every 100
women.
Ethnic composition
The composition of Nauru's
population is largely the result of the mining industry. Workers in the
1930s were imported from different parts of the world to work in the
mines. Early reports show that in 1939 the foreign population was equal
to the native Nauruan population. In 1977, the proportion was 60%
foreign and 40% indigenous. These proportions increased in 1992 to 70%
of foreigners. In 2006, the share of foreigners dropped to 6% as a
result of the massive exodus of migrant workers and their families due
to the collapse of the phosphate mining industry. The phosphate industry
continues to drive Nauru's economy, trade and external relations and is
likely to continue to have a clear and direct impact on the population
in the future. About 91% (9031 people) of the population of Nauru are
the indigenous people of the republic - the Nauruans. Of the total
population of Nauru, people from other Pacific Islands (mainly Fijians
and Tungarans) make up 4%, Europeans - 1.6% (161 people), Chinese - 1.5%
(151 people). The proportion of foreign citizens in the country's
population is high.
Based on the language of the Nauruans, it is
customary to refer to the Micronesian group of peoples, however, not
only Micronesians, but also Polynesians and Melanesians took part in the
formation of this ethnic group.
Nauruans speak the Micronesian language, Nauruan. Until 1968, the
Republic of Nauru was jointly owned by Australia, Great Britain and New
Zealand, so English, along with Nauruan, is the official language. The
Nauruan English Pidgin is also used on a daily basis, especially by
Chinese traders.
The writing of the Nauruan language is based on
the Latin alphabet and included 17 letters. Subsequently, due to the
significant influence of other languages - primarily German, Tok Pisin
and Kiribati - the alphabet expanded to 28 letters. A significant
contribution to the study of this Micronesian language was made by the
Catholic missionary Alois Kaiser, who wrote the textbook of the Nauru
language, as well as the American (originally from Germany) Protestant
missionary Philip Delaporte.
Religious composition
Today,
Nauru is mostly inhabited by Christians. The majority of Nauruans (60.5%
- 6098 people) are representatives of Protestant churches, including
35.2% (3552 people) are followers of the Nauruan Congregational Church,
which has its own chapels in the districts of Meneng, Buada, Anabar and
Nibok, as well as the main church in Aiwo County. Believers from the
Assembly of God - 12.8% (1291 people), the independent church of Nauru -
9.4% (945 people). There are small groups of Adventists, Baptists and
Jehovah's Witnesses in the country.
About 32.5% (3278 people) of
the inhabitants of Nauru are followers of the Catholic Church, which has
its own chapel in the Yaren district, as well as a school in the Eva
district (Kaiser College). About 5% of the inhabitants profess Buddhism
and Taoism, 2% are Bahá'ís. A small group of Nauruans adhere to a
traditional belief that includes the worship of the goddess Eijebong and
the island spirit Buitani.
The government restricts the
activities of some denominations, such as the Modern Church of Jesus
Christ and Jehovah's Witnesses (adherents are mainly among foreigners
working in the Phosphate Corporation of Nauru). When a Jehovah's Witness
missionary from the Marshall Islands visited Nauru in 1979, he was
deported.
In 1995, some of the restrictions were lifted. For
example, the citizens of Nauru were given the right to preach from door
to door.
State symbols
The national flag, coat of arms, anthem and
constitution of the Republic of Nauru were adopted and approved in 1968.
Political system
Nauru is an independent republic. The
constitution, adopted on January 29, 1968 (amended on May 17, 1968),
establishes a republican form of government with a Westminster system of
parliamentarism and some features of a presidential form of government.
Legislature
The highest body of legislative power is the
unicameral parliament, consisting of 19 deputies. Until 2013, the number
of deputies was 18. The procedure for electing members of parliament is
determined by the Constitution of Nauru. Elections are popular; Only a
citizen of Nauru who has reached the age of 20 can become a deputy.
Members of Parliament take an oath upon taking office. The term of
office of members of parliament is 3 years. Before the expiration of the
term, the powers may be terminated in the event of the dissolution of
Parliament by the Speaker after consultation with the President of the
country.
At their first meeting, members of parliament elect the
speaker of parliament and his deputy, after which they proceed to elect
the president of the country from among their members.
executive
branch
The head of state and government of Nauru is the President. On
June 11, 2013, as an experiment, the country's parliament decided to
separate the posts of president and prime minister. The manner in which
the President and Prime Minister are elected is determined by the
Constitution of Nauru. Only a member of Parliament can be elected
President. The election takes place at a parliamentary session
immediately after the parliamentary elections. A presidential candidate
is considered elected if he receives a simple majority of votes. The
term of office of the president is 3 years, and one person cannot hold
the office of president and member of parliament at the same time. Prior
to the expiration of the term, powers may be terminated in the event of
resignation, persistent inability of the president for health reasons to
perform his duties, or removal from office (impeachment). At least half
of all deputies of parliament must vote for the dismissal of the
president. After the impeachment of the president, presidential
elections are called. If the president is not elected within seven days
after the decision of the parliament to remove the president from
office, the parliament is automatically dissolved.
The President
appoints from the Parliament the Cabinet of Ministers, consisting of no
more than 6 and no less than 5 ministers (including the President). The
Cabinet of Ministers is an executive body that is collectively
responsible to the country's parliament. In the manner prescribed by
law, the president introduces a state of emergency, decides on pardons,
appoints judges of the Supreme Court of Nauru, resident magistrates of
district courts (with the consent of the chief judge).
Judicial
branch
The judiciary in Nauru is completely independent. Common law
operates in the republic - a legal system in which judicial precedent is
recognized as the source of law. Under common law and the Adopted Laws
Act 1971, part of the Nauruan traditions, practices and institutions
constitute the legal system of Nauru.
The Nauruan judiciary
system includes the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, District Courts and
Family Courts. According to the Nauru Lands Committee Ordinance, the
country has a land committee that resolves land disputes and has the
right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Nauru.
Article 48 of the
Constitution of Nauru establishes the Supreme Court of Nauru, consisting
of a chief justice and a panel of judges. The Chief Justice, like other
justices of the Supreme Court, is appointed by the President of Nauru.
Only citizens of the Republic of Nauru who have worked as barristers or
solicitors in the country for at least 5 years and whose age does not
exceed 65 years become judges of the Supreme Court of Nauru.
In
many matters, the highest court is the Supreme Court of Australia.
Constituencies
The territory of the Republic of Nauru is divided
into 8 constituencies.
All citizens of Nauru over the age of 20
have the right to vote. Participation in voting is compulsory: in case
of non-appearance on voting day, a fine is imposed at the polling
station.
Political parties
There are 3 political parties in
Nauru (Democratic Party, Naoero Amo and Center Party), but, as a rule,
the majority of deputies in the local parliament are not members of
political parties, being independent.
Armed forces and police
The Republic of Nauru does not have any national armed forces. Under an
informal agreement, the security of the island is carried out by
Australia. However, 3,000 Nauruans of military age are at the disposal
of the republic. Of these, less than 2,000 people are suitable for
military service for health reasons.
Internal security is provided by a few national police forces. The
most common offenses in Nauru are violations of the speed limit,
violations of privacy, public order and bicycle theft.
Foreign
policy and international relations
The Republic of Nauru has a
special status in the Commonwealth of Nations, of which it became a
member in 1968 after independence. From May 1999 to January 2006 the
republic was a full member of this organization; since September 14,
1999, it has become the 187th member of the United Nations. Also, this
state is a member of the Asian Development Bank (52nd member since
September 1991), the international organization of the Countries of
Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific region and other international
organizations.
Until February 2021, it was part of the Pacific
Islands Forum.
The Republic of Nauru maintains diplomatic
relations with many countries of the world. Its main partners are
Australia, Great Britain, India, Taiwan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand,
USA, Thailand, Philippines and Japan.
On December 15-16, 2009,
the Republic of Nauru became the fourth country in the world to
recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after Russia,
Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Relations with the People's Republic of
China and the Republic of China
On July 21, 2002, the Republic of
Nauru severed diplomatic relations with the partially recognized
Republic of China, established back in 1980, and established diplomatic
relations with the PRC. Nauruan President Rene Harris signed an
agreement in Hong Kong with the People's Republic of China, according to
which the country recognized only one government of China - the
government of the PRC. The People's Republic of China, on the other
hand, committed itself to provide financial assistance to Nauru in the
amount of $60 million, as well as to help pay off $77 million of the
debt of General Electric.
The reaction of the Republic of China
followed immediately: the government of the republic accused the PRC of
dollar diplomacy and did not rule out the possibility of demanding from
the government of Nauru the payment of a debt in the amount of 12.1
million US dollars, which went to build a hotel in Meneng.
On May
9, 2005, a meeting was held in Majuro between Nauruan President Ludwig
Scotti and Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian. Shortly after, on
May 14, diplomatic relations between Nauru and the Republic of China
were officially resumed, which complicated relations with the PRC. On
May 31, China severed relations with Nauru. Taiwan provides significant
assistance to Nauru in agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
Relations with Australia
Nauru maintains a close relationship with
Australia, which plays a key role in trade and investment. Australia is
represented in the Republic of Nauru by a Consul General, a Vice Consul
and two representatives from the Australian Department of Immigration.
The Republic of Nauru, in turn, is represented by the Consul General in
Melbourne.
In August 1993, the governments of the two countries
signed the Compact of Settlement, which ended the litigation of Nauru
against Australia in the International Court of Justice over the
rehabilitation of lands that were mined for phosphate rock before
Nauru's independence. As a result, Australia paid Nauru A$57 million and
pledged another A$50 million over 20 years.
Nauru is working with
Australia to combat smuggling in the region.
On the territory of
Nauru, there is an Australian immigration center, which contains
citizens of various countries who tried to illegally enter Australia by
sea. As of 2016, it contained more than 400 people. There are many
documents that reflect the facts of violence and abuse against refugees
in Nauru, including cases of sexual abuse of children. The inhumane
conditions in the refugee camps on Nauru have been reported by the
United Nations Refugee Agency and other international organizations.
Relations with EU countries
In August 1995, Nauru, like Kiribati,
severed diplomatic relations with France after it tested nuclear weapons
off the Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in French Polynesia. However, on
December 15, 1997, diplomatic relations with France were restored after
the French government announced a halt to nuclear weapons testing in the
region. In turn, the President of Nauru, Kinza Klodumar, appreciated the
significant French assistance to the small nations of the Central and
South Pacific.
In general, Nauru maintains friendly relations
with the European Union. European countries mainly help this Pacific
state in the energy sector.
Relations with the Soviet Union and
Russia
Diplomatic relations between Nauru and the USSR were
established on December 30, 1987. Currently, the Russian Ambassador to
the Commonwealth of Australia concurrently is the Ambassador to the
Republic of Nauru. In 2010, Russia allocated $50 million to Nauru to
solve social problems. This decision in the media was associated with
the fact that in 2009 Nauru recognized the independence of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia.
On September 24, 2014, Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov and the President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Nauru, Baron Waka, signed an agreement on a visa-free regime, which
entered into force on May 14, 2015.
With an abundance of phosphorites, the Republic of Nauru, in terms of
per capita income of $13,000 in the 1970s and 1980s, belonged to the
richest countries in the world. The gross national product in 1986 was
$20,000 per capita. The economy of the island then largely depended on
the influx of labor from outside - mainly from neighboring island states
- Kiribati and Tuvalu. At that time, the value of exports of
phosphorites was four times the amount of imports, and Australia, New
Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom were the main foreign trade
partners. Anticipating the closure of the only source of foreign
exchange earnings in the near future, the government invested a
significant part of export earnings in real estate abroad and special
accumulation funds. However, when the mineral reserves were almost
exhausted, it turned out that the state did not take enough care of the
future of the country.
The mining of phosphorites has had a
devastating effect on the relief and vegetation cover of the plateau in
the central part of the island. By 1989, the territory, which occupies
about 75%, was actively developed, and about 90% of the forest that
covered the plateau was destroyed (only 200 hectares of vegetation
remained). No land reclamation measures were taken, and by the end of
the 20th century, up to 80% of the land had turned into a wasteland
resembling a “lunar landscape”.
In 1989, the Republic of Nauru
filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice over the actions
of Australia during the administration of the island - and in particular
over the severe environmental consequences resulting from the
development of phosphate rock. Australia had to pay compensation. The
depletion of the mines also led to political instability, from 1989 to
2003 the government changed 17 times in the country.
In the
1990s, the island of Nauru turned into an offshore zone. Several hundred
banks were registered there, which in 1998 received deposits from Russia
worth 70 billion US dollars. Under pressure from the FATF
(Intergovernmental Commission on Combating Money Laundering) and under
the threat of sanctions from the United States, the Republic of Nauru
was forced in 2001 to restrict, and in 2003 to ban the activities of
offshore banks and take measures against money laundering.
The
Republic of Nauru used to sell passports to foreign citizens (so-called
"investor passports"), but in recent years this practice has been
abandoned.
At the beginning of 2003, an acute political crisis
erupted in Nauru. There were two contenders for the role of president at
once: Rene Harris and Bernard Doviyogo. During the clashes that broke
out, the presidential residence burned down and telephone communications
were cut off. Communication with the outside world for several weeks was
carried out only when a ship with a satellite phone entered the port.
A significant part of the country's income in recent years has been
Australian aid. Keeping refugees on their territory seeking to get to
Australia is an important income of the country, sponsored by Australia.
Agriculture
Bananas, pineapples, papaya, mangoes, breadfruit,
coconut palms are grown on the coastal strip of the island, which mainly
go to the local market.
Fishing
Nauru's fishing industry is
still in its infancy, with only two small fishing boats in the country
that fish mainly for the domestic market. Some of the tuna caught is
exported to Australia and Japan, but incomes are still very low: in
2001, for example, only about 600 kg of tuna per week were exported. In
2000, the first fish market appeared on Nauru, which also provided part
of the country's population with work.
Recently, a significant
source of replenishment of the local budget has become income from the
issuance of licenses for the right to catch fish in the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ). So, in 2000, the income amounted to about 8.5
million Australian dollars. The main partners in this area are fishing
companies from China, South Korea, Taiwan, the USA and Japan.
Aquaculture is also developing on Nauru: in small artificial reservoirs
on the island, hanos fish is bred, mainly going to the domestic market.
Industry
In the 1980s, the extraction of phosphorites decreased
significantly (from 1.67 million tons in 1985-1986 to 162 thousand tons
in 2001-2002) and was completely stopped in 2003. But thanks to the
investment of the Australian phosphate mining company Incitex Pivot, the
mining infrastructure was restored, and already in September 2006, the
export of phosphate rock resumed. Presumably, the primary reserves of
this rock should have been enough until 2009-2010.
Food, fuel,
machinery and equipment, building materials, and consumer goods are
imported into the country.
Transport
The length of the roads
to Nauru is about 40 km. The length of paved roads is 29 km, of which 17
km are located along the coast. A 12-kilometer unpaved road stretches
from the area of phosphorite mining to the coast. Nauru International
Airport is located in the south of the island. The national airline of
Nauru is Nauru Airlines, which operates four Boeing 737s.
Nauru
has a 3.9 km long railway linking the phosphorite mining area in the
center of the island with a port on the southwest coast. There is no
public transport and most families use private vehicles. There is sea
communication.
International trade
In 2017, exports amounted
to $24.7 million, imports - $35.6 million.
Almost 70% of export
earnings come from phosphates. The main trading partners are Australia
and Japan (the share of each of these countries is 24%), followed by
South Korea (16%). The main imports are machinery, equipment, foodstuffs
and chemical products. The main supplier is Australia (63%), followed by
Fiji (12%) and India (11%).
Connection
The first postage
stamps were issued on Nauru in 1916. They were UK stamps overprinted
with "NAURU".
Nauru's only radio station is owned by the
government and mainly broadcasts Radio Australia and the BBC. The island
also has a government television, Nauru TV.
Nauru has no regular
print media. The newspapers Nauru Bulletin (in English and Nauru) and
The Visionary (a newspaper owned by the opposition Naoero Amo party) are
published from time to time. The Central Star News and the Nauru
Chronicle are published biweekly.
Since September 1998, the
Internet has appeared on Nauru, it is provided by the CenpacNet company.
Subscription users are estimated to make up only half of the total
Internet audience in Nauru. Back in May 2001, CenpacNet launched several
state-of-the-art Internet cafes under its own brand. They provide users
with Internet access at a cost of $5 per hour. In addition, in the cafe
you can scan documents and process digital photos.
The
telecommunication system of the island is well developed. Many public
telephones have direct access to the international IDD system, but due
to the fact that the service is carried out through the networks of
Australian companies, outgoing international calls are made through
operators. Recently, there have been regular disruptions in
communications, as foreign companies serving this market refuse to
provide their services without pre-payment. Cellular communication of
the AMPS standard covers almost the entire island. Local networks are
not compatible with the GSM standard, therefore, if you need to maintain
constant communication, it is recommended to rent local format phones at
the offices of mobile operators.
Tourism
Tourism on the island
is limited due to environmental pollution left after the development of
phosphorites. Russian citizens do not need a visa to visit Nauru. All
passengers leaving the country will be charged an airport tax of AUD 25
payable directly at the airport. Children under the age of 12, crew
members, passengers in transit, and persons holding special written
permission from the Nauru Ministry of Justice are exempt from paying the
fee.
In 2019, by the decision of the Parliament of the Republic,
the Nauru Tourism Corporation was established, the main goal of which
was the development of tourism in the country.
Monetary system and finance
At the beginning of the 21st century,
the government of Nauru faced many financial problems, primarily due to
a decrease in the export of phosphorites. As a result, in 2002 the
country was unable to repay debts to some creditors on time. The
government continues to rely on the resources of the Bank of Nauru,
which is trying to solve the problem of budget deficits and royalties.
The monetary unit of Nauru is the Australian dollar. The level of
inflation on the island is quite high - 4% in 2001 (this is mainly due
to an increase in oil prices on the world market and the cost of its
transportation). In 2000, the budget deficit amounted to 10 million
Australian dollars, or about 18% of the country's GDP. Public debt has
increased - in 2000 it amounted to 280 million Australian dollars.
There is no sales tax in Nauru, however, a number of goods are
subject to customs duties, the rules of which are changed from time to
time. Tobacco products and alcohol are not taxed.
Shop opening
hours: Monday to Friday - from 09:00 to 17:00, on Saturdays - from 09:00
to 13:00, but many private shops operate on their own schedule.
There is very little information about the early culture of the
island of Nauru: due to the strong influence of the West, many customs
and traditions have already been forgotten by the locals. The absence of
writing among the ancient Nauruans only complicates the study of the
cultural wealth of the country.
Social organization of the
pre-colonial inhabitants of the island of Nauru
The early culture of
the Nauruans was based on the culture of the 12 tribes that inhabited
the island. There was no common leader on Nauru, and each tribe had its
own history. Traditionally, tribes were divided into clans, and each
person in it belonged to certain classes: temonibe (naur. Temonibe), emo
(naur. Emo), amenengame (naur. Amenengame) and engame (naur. Engame).
The two poor classes were called Itsio (Naur. Itsio) and Itiora (Naur.
Itiora). The main factor in determining a person's belonging to a
particular class was the origin of the mother. A privileged position was
occupied by temonibe, who were allowed to engage in fishing and who even
owned certain areas of the sea.
Most of the settlements were at
that time on the seashore, and only a few were located near Lake Buada.
The islanders lived in small "estates", consisting of two or three
houses. Most of them united in villages. In total, there were 168
villages on Nauru, united in 14 regions, which currently form the 14
administrative districts of the island.
Each family on Nauru
owned a plot, and some even owned fish ponds near Lake Buada. The land
was inherited.
The national sport of Nauru is Australian football. There is also a
national football team, but it has not yet been recognized by either
FIFA or the Oceania Football Confederation due to the lack of
professional players and large stadiums in the country. The color of the
players' uniforms is blue with a yellow transverse stripe. The first
game of the national team with a team from another country took place on
October 2, 1994. In it, the Nauru team beat the Solomon Islands team
with a score of 2: 1. It was a huge win as the Solomon Islands were
considered the clear favorites (they won the Melanesia Cup the same
year). There are several sports grounds and stadiums on the island:
Linkbelt Oval (located in Aiwo County, but it is significantly outdated
and does not meet international standards), Meneng Stadium (built in
2006 and seats 3,500 people) and Denig Stadium.
Weightlifting,
softball, basketball and tennis are very popular. The government of the
country pays the most attention to weightlifting: it is in this
discipline that Nauru has achieved the greatest success. After the
sensational victory of weightlifter Marcus Stephen at the Commonwealth
Games in 1990, the Nauru National Olympic Committee was established in
Nauru. In 1992, Marcus became the first Nauruan to compete in the
Barcelona Olympics. Nauru was officially accepted into the Olympic
Movement in 1996. The first official athletes from Nauru were Marcus
Steven, Gerard Garabwan and Quincy Detenamo.
The most successful
tennis players in Nauru are David Detudamo and Angelita Detudamo.
healthcare
As a result of an effective government program to
address health problems, which has as its main goals the improvement of
the water supply of the population and the implementation of constant
sanitary and preventive measures, outbreaks of infectious diseases on
the island have been avoided in recent years. Nevertheless,
non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular
disease and cancer, as well as respiratory diseases, have become the
main causes of death. The population of Nauru suffers greatly from
obesity. According to the UN, Nauru ranks first in the world in terms of
the number of people who are obese. In 2003, Nauru's adult prevalence of
diabetes (30.2%) was the highest in the world. The causes of obesity in
Nauru, as in other regions with a recent industrial past, are associated
with the spread of cheap high-calorie foods, primarily canned meat.
One of the main problems in Nauruan health care is the problem of
personnel, so the government of the country is trying to attract as many
specialists as possible to this area. Medical care on the island is
free. In July 1999, the Nauru General Hospital and the National
Phosphate Corporation Hospital were merged into the Republic of Nauru
Hospital, which employs only five doctors. People with serious illnesses
are mostly sent to Australia for treatment.
In 1995-1996, health
care expenditures amounted to 8.9 million Australian dollars, or 8.9% of
the country's total budget. Most of the professional doctors are
expatriates.
Education
Education in Nauru is compulsory for
children from 6 to 15 years old (grades 1-10). The educational system
also includes 2 stages for young children: preschool (Eng. Pre-school)
and preparatory stage (Eng. Preparatory School).
Primary
education is provided during the first 6 years of schooling, i.e. for
children aged 6 to 11. The first two years of study are held at the
Yaren Primary School, the third and fourth at the Aiwo Primary School,
and from the fifth at the Nauru College. At the end of elementary
school, exams are taken to obtain a Certificate of Primary Education
(Eng. Nauru Primary Certificate).
The next step is secondary
school (grades 7-10 are compulsory and grades 11-12 are optional). After
grade 10, exams are taken to obtain a Certificate of Secondary Education
(eng. Nauru Junior Certificate). In the case of continuing education at
the end of grade 12, exams are taken for a Certificate of Secondary
Complete Education (eng. Pacific Senior School Certificate).
Residents of the island receive higher education abroad, mainly in
Australia. Nauru also has a branch of the University of the South
Pacific, which provides distance learning courses.
Education in
Nauru is free.