Nauru (01/03)For the most current version of this Note, see Background Notes A-Z. PROFILE OFFICIAL NAME: Geography People Government
Economy GEOGRAPHY The island is surrounded by a coral reef, exposed at low tide and dotted with pinnacles. The reef is bounded seaward by deep water, inside by a sandy beach. A 150-300-meter (492-984 ft.) wide fertile coastal strip lies landward from the beach. Coral cliffs surround the central plateau. The highest point of the plateau is 65 meters (213 ft.) above sea level. The only fertile areas are the narrow coastal belt, where there are coconut palms, pandanus trees and indigenous hardwoods, and the land surrounding Buada lagoon, where bananas, pineapples, and some vegetables are grown. Some secondary vegetation grows over the coral pinnacles. PEOPLE HISTORY The island was allocated to Germany under the 1886 Anglo-German Convention. Phosphate was discovered a decade later and the Pacific Phosphate Company started to exploit the reserves in 1906, by agreement with Germany. Following the outbreak of World War I, the island was captured by Australian forces in 1914. After the war the League of Nations gave Britain, Australia, and New Zealand a trustee mandate over the territory. The three governments established the British Phosphate Commissioners, who took over the rights to phosphate mining. During World War II Japan occupied Nauru in August 1942 and deported 1,200 Nauruans to work as laborers in the Caroline Islands, where 463 died. The survivors returned to Nauru in January 1946. After the war the island became a UN Trust Territory under Australia, in line with the previous League of Nations mandate, and it remained one until independence in 1968. A plan by the partner governments to resettle the Nauruans (because of disappearing phosphate and damage to the island caused by extensive mining) on Curtis Island, off the north coast of Queensland, Australia, was abandoned in 1964 when the islanders decided to stay put. In 1967, the Nauruans purchased the assets of the British Phosphate Commissioners and in June 1970 control passed to the Nauru Phosphate Corporation. Nauru became an independent Republic in 1968. In 1989 Nauru filed suit against Australia in the International Court of Justice in The Hague for damages caused by mining while the island was under Australian jurisdiction. Australia settled the case out of court in 1993, agreeing to pay A$109 million (U.S.$72.6 million) and to assist Nauru with environmental rehabilitation. GOVERNMENT For its size, Nauru has a complex legal system. The Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Nauru, is paramount on constitutional issues, but other cases can be appealed to the two-judge Appellate Court. Parliament cannot overturn court decisions, but Appellate Court rulings can be appealed to Australia's High Court; in practice, however, this rarely happens. Lower courts consist of the District Court and the Family Court, both of which are headed by a Resident Magistrate, who also is the Registrar of the Supreme Court. Finally, there also are two quasi-courts--the Public Service Appeal Board and the Police Appeal Board--both of which are presided over by the Chief Justice. There are no armed forces, although there is a small police force (less than 100 members) under civilian control. Principal Government Officials Nauru does not have an embassy in the United States but does have a UN Mission at 800 2d Ave, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017 (tel: 212-937-0074, fax: 212-937-0079). POLITICAL CONDITIONS ECONOMY Lacking other resources, the government has turned to passport sales and laxly administered offshore banking to raise badly needed revenue. Both schemes have drawn strong international criticism as potentially aiding and abetting criminal and terrorist groups. The Nauru Agency Corporation administers Nauru's offshore banking sector. Nauru has been cited by the Financial Action Task Force as a non-cooperative jurisdiction in the fight against money laundering. FOREIGN RELATIONS Nauru was admitted to the United Nations in 1999. It is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, the South Pacific Commission, and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission. In 2001 Nauru became host to approximately 1,000 asylum seekers, mostly Afghan, who were intercepted while attempting to enter Australia illegally. A total of 549 of them remain on the island--318 of these have agreed to return to Afghanistan after receiving a cash package from Australia. Nauru reportedly received about $10 million in assistance from Australia in exchange for agreeing to house the refugees while their asylum applications are adjudicated. During 2002 Nauru severed diplomatic recognition with Taiwan and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. This move followed China's promise to provide more than U.S.$130 million in aid. U.S.-NAURU RELATIONS While resisting U.S. and other international pressure with regards to passport sales and shell banks, Nauru is generally supportive of U.S. positions at the United Nations and other international fora. Trade between the United States and Nauru is limited due to the latter's small size and economic problems. In 2001, U.S. exports to Nauru totaled $4.2 million while U.S. imports from Nauru totaled $0.1 million. Principal U.S. Embassy Officials The U.S. Embassy at Suva, Fiji, also accredited to Nauru, is located at 31 Loftus Street, Suva. Tel: 679-331-4466, Fax 679-330-2267. The mailing address is U.S. Embassy, P.O. Box 218, Suva, Fiji. |