Where is Nauru located on the political map of the world. Monetary system and finance. Armed forces and police

This state is known for being the “most-most”: the smallest Island state; the smallest independent republic on Earth; most small state outside of Europe and the only republic in the world without an official capital.

True, some sources call the capital of the Republic Yaren, but in reality there is no official capital in Nauru.

The state is located on the island of Nauru. Its area is only 21.3 km², and the population is about 13 thousand people.
The independence of the Republic of Nauru was proclaimed in 1968. A republican form of government was established with the Westminster system of parliamentarism and features of a presidential form of government.
Head of State and Government Nauru is a president elected for 3 years. The unicameral parliament consists of 18 deputies.
There are no national armed forces. The security of the island is carried out by Australia.

State symbols of Nauru

Flag- a panel with an aspect ratio of 1:2 with a horizontal yellow line on a blue background running in the middle, and a large white 12-pointed star under the line in the left corner. The star indicates the country's location in relation to the equator ( yellow stripe). The 12 ends of the star symbolize the 12 tribes of Nauru. Blue represents the Pacific Ocean.
The flag was adopted on January 31, 1968.

Coat of arms- is a three-part shield. In the upper part, on a golden wicker field, there is a symbol that was once the alchemical symbol of phosphorus (until recently, phosphorites were the basis of the island's economy). The braided background symbolizes the people of Nauru. In the lower right silver field is a frigate bird sitting on a pole above ocean waves. In the lower left field there is a branch of Calophyllum flowers on a blue field. The shield is surrounded by ropes of palm leaves and frigate feathers. The 12-pointed star above the shield is taken from the flag. The ribbon at the top bears the name of the country in the local language. The ribbon below carries the country's national motto: "God's Will First" ("First of all, God's will").
The coat of arms was created in 1968.

Geography and geology of the island of Nauru

Nauru Island - Raised coral atoll. A narrow coastal plain 100-300 m wide surrounds a limestone plateau, the height of which in the central part of Nauru reaches 30 m. The plateau was previously covered with a thick layer of phosphorites, formed, presumably, from the excrement of seabirds.
The island is surrounded by a reef about 120-300 m wide. At low tide, the reef dotted with peaks is exposed. 16 channels are dug in it, which allow small boats to approach the coast of the island.
Phosphorite mining was carried out here, a narrow-gauge railway was laid to deliver the mined phosphorites to the port. And at the site of development there were huge pyramids and limestone battlements.

There is a deficit on the island fresh water, because there are no rivers here. In the southwest of the island there is a small brackish Lake Buada which is fed by rainwater. Its level is 5 m higher than the level of the ocean surrounding Nauru. Currently, the lake is not connected to the ocean. Around the lake there is fertile land, agriculture is developed there.

But the amount of water from this lake does not satisfy the needs of the population for drinking water, so during the drought period it is imported from Australia.
There is only one desalination plant on the island, powered by Nauru's only power plant. But the cost of electricity is very high, so the desalination plant does not operate regularly. Rainwater is collected here for irrigation and technical needs.

Flora and fauna

The island was heavily damaged during World War II, as well as from the mining of phosphorites, which led to the destruction of vegetation in much of Nauru. Currently, this problem is being solved: the vegetation cover has been restored on 63% of the territory. In 1989, the Republic of Nauru filed a lawsuit in an international court over Australia's actions during the administration of the island, especially the severe environmental consequences resulting from the mining of phosphate rock. Australia paid compensation to Nauru.
Coconut palms, pandanus, laurel, ficus and other deciduous trees grow here. Shrubs are also common. Hibiscus, cherry, almond and mango plantings are found in the interior of Nauru.

The animal world is rather poor: small rats, cats, dogs and pigs, chickens - they were all brought here.
From reptiles - lizards. 6 bird species: waders, terns, pigeons, petrels, frigatebirds. And only one species of songbird lives here - warbler.

Sharks live in coastal waters sea ​​urchins, shellfish, crabs and some poisonous marine animals.

Administrative division- despite the fact that the territory of the state is very small, it is divided into 14 administrative districts.

Population

It mainly lives along the coast and around Lake Buada. There are no cities on the island, there are only residential areas. The presidential residence is located in the Meneng district, while government offices and parliament are located in the Yaren district.

Indigenous people (Nauruans) make up 58%. Europeans are about 8%.
State languages- English and Nauruan. Writing has been based on the Latin alphabet for 100 years.
Religion- Christianity. 57% Protestants, about 33% Catholics, 5% profess Buddhism and Taoism.
Some adhere to traditional beliefs (worship of the goddess Eijebong and the island spirit Buitani).

Economy of Nauru

During the mining of phosphorites, Nauru was a very rich republic (1970-1980). But this had a devastating effect on the relief and vegetation of the plateau in the central part of the island. By the end of the XX century. 80% of the land has turned into a desert.
In the 1990s, there was an offshore zone, and in 2003 a strong economic crisis, which ended in political clashes, as a result of which the presidential residence and the phone was disconnected.
IN last years Australia provides significant assistance to the country.

IN coastal zone papayas, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, coconut palms, and breadfruit are grown.
Fishing is mainly aimed at the domestic market, except for tuna, which is exported to Japan and Australia. In small artificial reservoirs breed fish hanos(mainly for the domestic market).
Food, fuel, machinery and equipment, building materials, consumer goods are imported in the country.
Currency- Australian dollar.

Sport

Australian football is the national sport game. Also popular are weightlifting, softball (a sports team game with a ball, an analogue of baseball), basketball and tennis. Officially, Nauru was admitted to Olympic Movement in 1996

Education

Education in Nauru is free and compulsory for children aged 6 to 15 (grades 1-10). preschool And preparatory education is for young children.
Elementary education- for children aged 6 to 11 years. The first 2 years are taught in primary school Yaren District, 3 and 4 at Aiwo Primary School, and from 5th at Nauru College. Exams are taken to obtain the Certificate of Primary Education.

high school A: Grades 7-10 are required and grades 11-12 are optional. Exams are taken to obtain the Certificate of Secondary Education. If the training is continued, at the end of the 12th grade, exams are taken for a Certificate of Complete Secondary Education.
Higher education can be obtained overseas, mainly in Australia. In Nauru there is a branch of the University of the South Pacific, where you can study in absentia.

History of Nauru

Around 3,000 years ago, Nauru was settled by supposedly Micronesians and Polynesians. The origin was taken into account on the maternal line. Before the arrival of Europeans, the population of the island of Nauru consisted of 12 tribes, this is reflected in the 12-pointed star on the modern flag and coat of arms of the Republic of Nauru.
The island of Nauru was discovered on November 8, 1798 by an English captain John Fearn sailing to China from New Zealand.
In the 19th century the first Europeans began to settle on the island: runaway convicts, deserters from whaling ships, merchants. This did not have the best effect on the atmosphere of the island: hitherto unknown diseases, internecine wars, and alcohol consumption began.
In 1888 Nauru was annexed ( annexation- the official annexation by the state of all or part of the territory of another state unilaterally) by Germany and included in the protectorate of the Marshall Islands under the control of the Jaluit Company. But at first it was not very felt - the island lived its former life. But when large deposits of phosphorites were discovered here, the situation changed. In 1906, an Australian company began their development, which complicated the entire subsequent history of the island.
During the First World War, the island was captured by Australian troops. But at the same time, the Japanese also sought to capture the island, but the Australians were ahead of them.

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 under the administrative control of Australia. These countries have formed a joint venture called the British Phosphate Commission to mine and sell phosphorites. The development of phosphate rock was carried out before the Second World War, but the indigenous people had practically nothing from this, except for insignificant compensation.

In early December 1940, a clash began between the countries owning the company: a Norwegian and several British ships were sunk by German cruisers, phosphorite burned, and port facilities were bombarded. Only ruins remained of it. The fire destroyed the phosphorites already purchased by the Japanese.

During 1942-1945. Nauru was taken over by Japan. During this period, 1200 Nauruans were deported to the Chuuk Islands, only half of them subsequently returned to their homeland.
Nauru has been a United Nations Trust Territory since 1947, while continuing to be jointly administered by Britain, Australia and New Zealand and administered by Australia. Until the 1970s, up to 2 million tons of phosphorites were mined and exported.
But already in 1940-1950. On the island began the movement for independence. By 1966, local Legislative and Executive Councils were created, which ensured internal self-government. And on January 31, 1968, independence was proclaimed.

Sights of Nauru

City of Yaren

The sights of the city are two museums of Japanese weapons and numerous bunkers and caponiers(a vaulted room sprinkled with earth, arranged inside the fortress moat and armed with cannons to fire at the enemy in the event of an assault), preserved since the Second World War, and a small underground lake Mokua Vel.

The island is surrounded on all sides by sunken planes and ships. The city has an international airport.

Anibare

In Anibare district is located best beach Nauru with excellent conditions for relaxing by the sea. And although the ocean currents near the shores of the bay are quite strong, but this is one of the best resort areas Nauru. Nearby reefs and two channels create good conditions for diving and snorkeling - here, as in other places off the coast of Nauri, there are several sunken ships from the Second World War.

- an island nation in the center Pacific Ocean a few kilometers south of the equator. It is an oval-shaped coral island.

The name comes from the ethnonym Naurans.

Official name: Republic of Nauru

Capital - official capital and there are no cities on the island. The seat of government is located in Meneng District, while government offices and parliament are located in Yaren District.

Square - 21 km2.

Population - 13 thousand people

Administrative division - The state is divided into 14 districts.

Form of government - Republic.

head of state - The president.

Official language - Nauru, English.

Religion - 60% - Protestants, 38% - Catholics.

Ethnic composition - 58% - Nauru (Naurians or Naurans), 26% - Melanesians, 8% - Chinese, 8% - Europeans ..

Currency - Australian dollar = 100 cents.

Internet domain: .nr

Mains voltage: ~220 V, 50 Hz

Phone country code: +674

Climate

Equatorial monsoon, very hot and humid.

The island of Nauru lies almost on the equator, so average monthly temperatures- from +28 C to +34 C change little throughout the year. At the same time, the daytime heat, due to the lack of vegetation and the strong heating of the rocky base from the scorching rays of the sun, can reach + 38-41 C, while at night it is only slightly cooler. Only in the period from March to October, when the northeast trade winds blow, the air temperature drops by 3-4 C, but only along the coast - the region of the Central Plateau warms up as significantly as at any other time of the year.

Precipitation falls about 2500 mm per year. From November to February, the cyclone season lasts, when the weather becomes extremely wet, and the island literally "drowns in the rain", but in the rest of the year, due to lack of vegetation and soil characteristics, real droughts are common.

Geography

The island of Nauru lies in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, about 42 km from the equator. nearest island Banaba (Oshen) is located 306 km east of Nauru and belongs to the Republic of Kiribati.

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. Length - 5.6 km, width - 4 km. Length coastline- about 19 km. The most high point- 65 m (according to various sources 61-71 m) - 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 m. 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 m wide, surrounding a limestone plateau, the height of which in the central part of Nauru reaches 30 m. The plateau was previously covered with a thick layer of phosphorites, presumably formed from the excrement of seabirds. The island is bordered by a narrow reef (about 120-300 m wide), 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.

Flora and fauna

There are 60 species of plants recorded on the island, but none of them is a natural inhabitant of this land - almost all of them have been introduced by humans to one degree or another. Bananas, pineapples and vegetables are grown on the fertile lands around the Buada lagoon, coral remnants cover small pockets of secondary vegetation. The soils are porous sandy loam, on which coconut palms, pandanuses, ficuses, laurel (calophyllum) and other deciduous trees grow. Also common different types shrub formations. The most dense vegetation is confined to the coastal strip and the vicinity of the lake. Buada. The recultivated quarry dumps are planted with bushes.

The fauna is also extremely scarce - only about 20 species of birds can be attributed to the natural inhabitants of the island, including the most famous local inhabitant - the reed nightingale, or the Nauru canary, as well as about a hundred species of insects and earth crabs common to the islands of the region. All other animals (Polynesian rat, pigs, dogs, etc.) were brought here by man. From mammals, rats are found, from reptiles - lizards. The avifauna is more diverse (waders, terns, petrels, frigatebirds, pigeons, etc.). Lots of insects.

Dangerous plants and animals

In the waters around the islands, there are several varieties of sharks and many poisonous sea creatures (primarily sea snakes, some types of fish and corals). Some species marine life contain poisonous toxins in their meat, so it is always recommended to consult with the locals about the safety of a particular product. When swimming, it is better to use wetsuits, and to enter the water on an unequipped coast, wear strong shoes that protect your feet from the needles of marine animals and sharp edges of coral fragments.

Banks and currency

Australian dollar (AUD, A$), equal to 100 cents. In circulation are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 dollars, as well as coins of 1 and 2 dollars, 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents. You can exchange currency in banks or in any of the hotels on the island.

American Express, Diners Club and Visa credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but there are no ATMs on the island. Traveler's checks can be cashed at banks and hotels. Despite the widespread use of non-cash means of payment, in many places a clear preference is given to cash.

Branches of the Bank of Nauru are usually open from Monday to Thursday, from 09.00 to 15.00, on Fridays - from 09.00 to 16.30.

Useful information for tourists

Nauru has little to offer the traveler - beaches on secluded coral reefs and atolls, colorful coral reefs themselves, sunken ships and planes from the Second World War that literally surround the island. Pure water and excellent conditions for sport fishing make it attractive for lovers active rest. Drinking water is imported.

The export of samples of plants and animals under state protection, eggs and stuffed birds, as well as products made from leather, bone, bird feathers, shells and corals is prohibited.

Nauru is a small republic, which is a small oval coral island located just 25 miles south of the equator. If you characterize more precisely the location of the island, then it is located in the South Pacific Ocean, south of Marshall Islands. The state in terms of area is the third of the smallest countries in the world - less Nauru only Monaco and the Vatican. But meager territorial possessions are far from the most interesting thing in the life of this country. Much more interesting is the unusual story that happened to the whole country. The country of Nauru, which was always very poor, suddenly became fabulously rich, but quickly lost its treasures, again falling below the poverty line. How could this happen? The story is not only fascinating, but also quite instructive.

The land of the Pacific island is a plateau with sandy beach and palm trees surrounded coral reefs. It would seem a tropical equatorial paradise. People have always lived there quietly, calmly and poorly. The islanders sometimes saw only visiting sailors from whaling ships. The first British navigator landed on this coast in 1798.

During World War II, Nauru was occupied by the Japanese, but soon the island came under the control of Australia. The people of Nauru received their long-awaited independence only in 1968.

The Amazing History of Nauru

Now oh unusual story enrichment. Long before independence, namely, in 1899, a British company discovered that the island of Nauru was practically composed of solid phosphates. Phosphates are widely used for the needs of agriculture for the manufacture of fertilizers, which significantly increase crop yields. Mining began on the island in the early 20th century by a German-British consortium. In general, for more than a century, companies from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain have been mining from the bowels of the island. The extraction of phosphates was carried out within relatively reasonable limits. But then the island gained independence, and the situation changed dramatically.

After Nauru became independent state, the export of phosphates has increased significantly. Due to such a predatory attitude towards their own land, the Nauruans became in a short time one of the richest people on the planet. Tiny country's imputed per capita income is the highest in the world after Saudi Arabia, and by 1970, the average salary of the islanders was four times higher than the salary of US residents.

As is usually the case, not only the income of the natives of the island has changed, but also their way of life. The people of Nauru stopped going to work and their children stopped going to school. Each family had foreign servants and several expensive cars in the house.

Sedentary lifestyle local residents turned into a real disaster for them: they began to rapidly gain weight, many of them suffered not only from overweight, but also from diabetes.

And the once flourishing island of Nauru, whose soil layers were ruthlessly cleared by excavators, has become a real ecological dump. The surface of the earth became almost bare rock. The island has become unsuitable for life, as flowers cannot bloom on the rock and new buildings can not be erected.

Already in the 1980s, the government of Nauru was forced to reduce the export of phosphorites. Firstly, they are practically gone, and secondly, they have become much cheaper, as new technologies have replaced phosphate fertilizers and demand has decreased significantly. People so accustomed to living in luxury found themselves on the verge of poverty. Wealth, so unexpectedly appeared, disappeared without a trace.

Financial state of Nauru today

The authorities of Nauru have taken quite interesting and intricate moves to remedy the plight. First, it was decided to bring the soil to the island. But the idea failed because the soil had to be supported by plant roots, and there were none left on the island.

Then Nauru appealed to the International Court of Justice to compensate for the damage from almost a century of phosphate mining on the island by foreign companies. In 1993, Australia offered Nauru 2.5 million Australian dollars as compensation for an out-of-court settlement of the conflict, this money was paid in installments over twenty years. New Zealand and the UK additionally agreed to pay a lump sum settlement of $12 million each.

An interesting fact is that even Russia paid compensation to the state of Nauru. True, not for phosphates, but for speculation on diplomatic relations. In 2009, at the request of Russia, Nauru recognized the independence of the new states, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, receiving for this from the Russian government a round sum of $ 50 million as gratitude. But even that is not all, the Russians paid for the reconstruction of the inhabitants of Nauru port, which cost $ 9 million.

Not only Russian government thanked the state of Nauru. In 2002, Nauru, at the request of China, severed diplomatic relations with the state of Taiwan. It cost China $130 million.

In addition, Nauru provided Australia with another unusual service. And, of course, not for free.

In 2001, the container ship Tampa rescued several hundred people trying to escape from a sinking Indonesian ship. These people turned out to be illegal immigrants, refugees from the poor countries of Asia, who tried to escape poverty on Christmas Island in Indian Ocean, which is an Australian federal territory. The Australian Government has asked the Government of Nauru to host these refugees.

As compensation, Australia offered the islanders $20 million, and got rid of unwanted foreigners in this way. These people still live on Nauru in a very bad conditions without medical assistance.

Tourism in Nauru

Nauru has limited tourism activities, although there are excellent conditions for diving and fishing. Every year, an average of 200 tourists visit Nauru, so crowds of tourists are not a problem at all. The shallow water around the island has many picturesque coral reefs. The island has an untouched beautiful lagoon with sand and palm trees.

Nauru is such a small state that it takes less than one hour to drive around the island. The traffic lights on the island are only used to stop traffic and allow the plane to land at the terminal without any problems!

Nauru has scheduled bus, which runs around the island every hour during the day. Cars and bicycles can be rented.

The official language is local language Pacific islands. But English language widespread and widely used.

As national currency Nauru uses the Australian dollar. Credit cards accepted extremely rarely, since there are no banks and ATMs in Nauru.

How to get to Nauru

All foreign guests are required to enter the island with a valid international passport, thirty days tourist visa and a document confirming the hotel reservation or the presence of a local sponsor. The visa must be obtained before departure at the Nauru embassy.

Now about how to get to Nauru. The airline, the national carrier of Nauru, flies once a week from Brisbane Airport in Australia with a stop in Honiara on Solomon Islands. The schedule may change throughout the year.

The sale and use of drugs and narcotic drugs of any kind are severely punished here.

Homosexual contact is illegal in Nauru and can lead to prosecution. Open displays of affection between same-sex partners may offend the people of Nauru.

Cuisine of Nauru

Products Nauru imports from Australia, they are brought by ship, as a rule, once every six to eight weeks.

There are many small spots on the island Catering. There is also a Capelle supermarket and an Aiwo pizzeria.

Meat is one of the staple foods on the island, but since Nauru is an island nation, seafood is also very popular.

The most popular in the list of restaurants and bars in Nauru is local restaurant Reinaldo who offers dishes Chinese food. Although there are many other restaurants and bars in Nauru.

Nauru is a coral island in the Western Pacific Ocean in southern Micronesia. The area of ​​the island is 21.3 km². According to a July 2007 estimate, the population of the Republic of Nauru was 13,528, including 6,763 men and 6,765 women. Nauru is a comparatively rare type coral island- raised atoll. In the central part of the island there is a slightly brackish freshwater lake Buada, which is the remnant of an ancient lagoon. In the north of the island there is also a group of small lakes Anabar. Nauru is located 42 km south of the equator. The nearest island - Banaba - is located 306 km east of Nauru and belongs to the Republic of Kiribati. In 1968, the island was proclaimed an independent state, which is the smallest independent republic on the ground. The climate on Nauru is equatorial, humid and hot. Average annual temperature+27.5°C. The average annual amount of precipitation is 2060 mm. The rainy season lasts from November to February.

There are 60 species of plants growing on Nauru. The most common are ficuses, coconut palms, laurel, pandanus, almond tree, mango, as well as some types of shrub formations. The effects of the Second World War, the overexploitation of the coconut palm and the mining of phosphorites damaged the island's vegetation cover. Most of vegetation is located near the coastal strip.
All mammals of Noir were introduced by humans. Polynesian rats, cats, pigs, and chickens are common here. Only one species of birds lives - the warbler. Lots of insects. Sharks, clams, sea urchins and crabs live in coastal waters

History of Nauru

There is no official capital on Nauru. The presidential residence is located in the Meneng district, the main government offices are in the Yaren district. The main population of the island lives off the coast. Nauruans speak the Nauruan language, which was written 100 years ago on the basis of 28 Latin letters. Since, until 1968, Nauru was the common possession of Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand, English, along with Nauruan, is the official language. Over 3,000 years ago, Nauru was settled by Polynesians and Micronesians. The first settlers arrived from the Bismarck Islands. Before the expansion of Europeans, the population of the island consisted of 12 tribes.
Nauru was discovered on November 8, 1798 by the English captain John Fearn, who gave the island the name Pleasant. The main part of the settlements at that time was located on the seashore. The islanders lived in "estates" united into villages. In total there were 168 villages and 14 regions.
In the 19th century, Europeans began to settle on the island. Mostly they were runaway convicts, deserters, and later enterprising merchants. Europeans brought venereal diseases to the island, actively soldered the Nauruans with alcohol and fomented bloody internecine wars with the use of firearms.
On April 16, 1888, Nauru was annexed by Germany, as a result of which the population of the island began to pay taxes, and serious deposits of phosphorites were discovered on the island itself. The development of phosphorites left a serious imprint on the entire subsequent history of Nauru.
In the 1990s, Nauru was turned into an offshore zone. Many banks were registered here. In 2003, under pressure from the international commission on combating money laundering, offshore banking activities were banned here.
Tourism on the island is difficult due to severe environmental pollution after the development of phosphorites.

Information

• water area: Pacific Ocean
• A country: Nauru
• Square: 21.3 km²
• highest point: 65 m
• Population (2012): 9591 people