Nauru

Background: Nauru's phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium; the island was occupied by Australian forces in World War I. Nauru achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999. Nauru is the world's smallest independent republic.
Location: Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands. Area: total: 21 sq km. Area - comparative: About 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC. Coastline: 30 km.
Climate and Terrain: Climate: Tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February). Terrain: Sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center. Natural resources: Phosphates, fish. Geography - 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.
People: Population: 12,570. Ethnic groups: Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%. Religions: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic). Languages: Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes.
Government: Government type: Republic. Capital: No official capital; government offices in Yaren District. Independence: 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship).
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.
Statistics: Telephones - main lines in use: 2,000. Telephones - mobile cellular: 450. Radio broadcast stations: AM 1. Radios: 7,000. Television broadcast stations: 1. Televisions: 500. Railways: Total: 5 km. Highways: Total: 30 km, paved: 24 km, unpaved: 6 km. Airports: 1.