Nauru General Information Area: 21.3 sq km (8.2 sq miles). Population: 11,845 (official estimate 2000). Population Density: 556.0 per sq km. Capital: Yaren District (no official capital, but most government offices and legislature are based here). GEOGRAPHY: Nauru, the world’s smallest republic, is an oval-shaped outcrop, situated in the Central Pacific, west of Kiribati, surrounded by a reef which is exposed at low tide. Although there is no deep-water harbour on the island, offshore moorings are reputedly the deepest in the world. A century of phosphate mining has stripped four fifths of the land area, and has left the central plateau, which rises to 56m (213ft), infertile and unpopulated: a barren terrain of jagged coral pinnacles which stand 15m (49ft) high. The island has a fertile coastal strip 150-300m (492-984ft) wide, where there are coconut palms, pandanus trees and indigenous hardwoods such as the tomano. On the land surrounding Buada lagoon, bananas, pineapples and some vegetables are grown. Some secondary vegetation grows over the coral pinnacles which intersperse the island’s beaches. Government: Republic. Gained independence from Australia in 1968. Head of State and Government: President Bernard Dowiyogo since 2003. Language: Nauruan and English are spoken. Religion: Christian, mostly Nauruan Protestant Church. There is also a significant Roman Catholic minority. Time: GMT + 12. Electricity: 110/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Communications:   Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 674. Outgoing international calls must be made through the operator. Mobile telephone Although an AMPS network is in operation, there are no facilities at the moment for travellers to use their handsets on the island. Fax Available from post office and some hotels/shops. Post Airmail to Europe takes up to a week. Internet ISPs include VPM Internet Services; there is one Internet cafe on the island, and access to the Internet may be available in hotels. Press The main newspaper is The Nasero Bulletin, published fortnightly in Nauruan and English. Others are the Central Star News and the Nauru Chronicle. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.36 9.740 6.195 3.915 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 17.74 11.71 9.645 6.110 Passport/Visa   Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required? British Yes Yes/1 Yes Australian Yes Yes/1 Yes Canadian Yes Yes/1 Yes USA Yes Yes/1 Yes OtherEU Yes Yes/1 Yes Japanese Yes Yes/1 Yes PASSPORTS: Passport valid for six months from the date of entry required by all. VISAS: Required by all except the following: (a) nationals of New Zealand for stays of up to three months and Korea (Rep) for stays of up to 14 days; (b) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft, provided they hold onward or return documentation and do not leave the airport. Note: 1. Nationals of the following countries may obtain a tourist visa on arrival for a stay of up to 30 days, provided holding valid passport, return or onward tickets, sufficient funds and a confirmed hotel booking: Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Guam, Ireland, Japan, Korea (Rep), Montserrat, Peru, Sierra Leone, Singapore, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks & Caicos Islands, UK and USA. Types of visa and cost: Visitor and Business. Visas are issued free of charge. Validity: 30 days. Application to: Consulate General. Application requirements: (a) Letter giving details such as purpose of visit and dates of intended stay. There is no application form. (b) Proof of return or onward ticket and valid documents for next destination. (c) Evidence of prearranged hotel booking or details of other accommodation. (d) Valid passport (should not be sent with application, but presented on arrival). (e) For business visas, letter from Nauruan company or individual. Working days required: Four to five (tourist visas); five to six (business visas); it is, however, recommended that applications are made at least two weeks prior to date of travel. Temporary residence: Contact the Consulate General of Nauru in Melbourne, Australia (see Contact Addresses section). A visa can be sent by post; no fee is charged. Money Currency: The Australian Dollar (A$) is legal tender. For further information and exchange rates, see Australia section. Currency exchange: Available in banks. There are as yet no ATMs on the island. Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club and Visa are accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. Travellers cheques: These can be exchanged in banks and some hotels. Currency restrictions: The import of local and foreign currency (including travellers cheques) is unlimited, provided declared on arrival. The export of local currency is limited to A$5000; severe penalties can be incurred if this rule is infringed and the proper authority from the Bank of Nauru is not obtained. The export of foreign currency is unlimited. Banking hours: Mon-Thurs 0900-1600, Fri 0900-1640. Duty Free The following goods may be imported into Nauru by those over 16 years of age without incurring customs duty: 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 450g of tobacco; 3 bottles of alcoholic beverage (if visitor is over 21 years of age). Prohibited items: Explosives, firearms and pornography, drugs and weapons. Restricted exports: Nauruan artefacts may not be exported without a licence. Public Holidays Jan 1 2003 New Year’s Day. Jan 31 Independence Day. Apr 18-21 Easter. May 17 Constitution Day. Oct 26 Angam Day. Dec 25-26 Christmas. Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Jan 31 Independence Day. Apr 9-12 Easter. May 17 Constitution Day. Oct 26 Angam Day. Dec 25-26 Christmas. Health   Special Precautions Certificate Required Yellow Fever No 1 Cholera No 2 Typhoid and Polio 3 N/A Malaria No N/A 1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas. (This includes transit passengers not leaving the airport.) 2: Vaccination required if arriving within five days of leaving infected areas. 3: Typhoid may occur in rural areas with poor sanitation. Immunisation is advised. Food & drink: Mains water is normally chlorinated, and whilst relatively safe may cause mild abdominal upsets. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Drinking water outside main cities and towns may be contaminated and sterilisation is advisable. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat. Other risks: Immunisations are sometimes recommended for hepatitis A, B, TB and diphtheria. Outbreaks of Dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis have also been reported. Sea snakes, poisonous fish and corals may present hazards to the bather. Health care: Nauru has 14 GPs, all of whom work at either one of the two hospitals – Nauru General Hospital or Nauru Phosphate Corporation Hospital. There are no medical specialists, and serious or complicated cases are sent to Australia for treatment, via Air Nauru. Travellers are advised to take out full health insurance prior to departure. Travel - International AIR: Nauru’s national airline is Air Nauru (ON); its destinations include Brisbane and Melbourne in Australia, Guam and Fiji. It also offers charter services to Sydney, Australia and Norfolk Island. There are a number of passes available, including the Pacific Wanderer Pass and the Pacific Air Pass. The Visit the South Pacific Pass is valid for many airlines operating in the South Pacific, including most of the larger ones, such as Air Caledonie, Air Marshall Islands, Air Nauru, Air Niugingi, Air Pacific, Air Vanuatu, Polynesian Airlines, Qantas, Royal Tongan Airlines and Solomon Airlines. Offering reductions of up to 40 per cent on normal airfares, this sector-based pass allows for flexible island-hopping between the destinations of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu and the more remote Melanesian and Micronesian islands, together with major cities in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) and New Zealand (Chirstchurch, Wellington, Auckland). It is only available for people resident outside of the South Pacific. The journey must be started outside the South Pacific and only one stopover in Australia is allowed. A minimum of two sectors must be bought before departure (extra sectors can be purchased en route). There is a maximum of one pass per person, and passes must be used within six months of the first day of travel. Children under 12 years of age pay 75 per cent of the adult fare. For details and conditions, contact the South Pacific Tourist Organisation (see Contact Addresses section). Approximate flight times: From London to Nauru Island is 31 hours, including stopovers in Hong Kong, Manila, Guam and Pohnpei. International airports: Nauru International Airport (INU). There are buses to the town available after every arriving flight costing approximately A$1. Taxis are also available. Airport facilities include snack bar, gift shops and tourist information. Departure tax: A$25 per person on departure. Transit passengers and those under 12 years of age are exempt. SEA: The international port is Nauru. Main sealinks are with Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Coastal hazards force commercial vessels to moor some way offshore. Travel - Internal RAIL: There are just over 5km (3 miles) of railway to serve the phosphate mining area. ROAD: A sealed road, 19km (12 miles) long, circles the island and there are several miles of road running inland to Buada District and the phosphate areas. Traffic drives on the left. The island speed limit is 50kmph (30 mph). Buses: These provide public transport and run from the hotels. Car hire: This is available. Documentation: A national driving licence will suffice. Accommodation There are a few hotels on Nauru situated on both the east and west coasts. Facilities include restaurants and nearby shops. Contact the SPTO for further details (see Contact Addresses section). Introduction Since the extensive phosphate fields were found in the 1900s, the island has been mainly used for the mining of the natural fertiliser. The Nauru Phosphate Corporation is the largest employer. The population lives mainly on the coast or on the shore of Buada Lagoon, the remainder of the island being used for phosphate extraction. As yet, little is given over purely to tourism, although the situation is slowly changing. In Yaren, there are remains of Japanese guns, bunkers and pillboxes left over from World War II. Anibore Bay is probably the most beautiful beach on the island, although the sea currents are dangerous. Sport & Activities Watersports: Fishing by net or by line is, of course, an essential part of life, and swimming is possible at either of the two channels cut into the surrounding reef and in the boat harbour when the ships are not being handled. A coral reef along with shipwrecks from World War II provide good diving. Other: The national game is Australian rules football, which is played all through Saturday on the sports field just north of Buada Lagoon (in the middle of the island); there is no charge for spectators. The Frigate bird game is the most distinctive of the traditional sports, and there are several popular ball-games and wrestling games of local origin. In recent years, Nauru’s international success in weightlifting has created a national interest and many Nauruans are involved in the sport. Tennis, basketball, softball and volleyball courts are also available. There is a 9-hole golf course. Snooker can be played at the East End Club. Social Profile Food & Drink: Cultivation is difficult on Nauru owing to the poor soil, irregular rainfall and the impact of mining. There are no local fruit or vegetables and most of the available food is canned, refined and imported. Fresh food is limited to a small amount of fish, and very occasionally beef. The island is, however, very well served with restaurants with a wide range of international dishes, especially Chinese, but little is fresh. The Menen Hotel has a restaurant offering a range of western food. Most international brands of alcohol are available. Nightlife: This mostly revolves around the dining rooms and bars. There is one cinema located in the southern part of the island. Shopping: There is a number of shops on the island, although service and goods at government shops tend to be of poor quality. There are numerous supermarkets, the largest being Capelle’s, but visitors should buy essential goods in advance. There are no sales taxes but customs duties are now levied on a range of goods. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1300. Social Conventions: The island has a casual atmosphere in which diplomacy and tact are always preferable to confrontation; European customs continue alongside local traditions. Tipping: Not generally practised. Business Profile Economy: Until a few years ago, Nauru’s economy depended almost entirely on the extraction and sale of phosphates over which the Nauru Phosphate Corporation has a monopoly. Much of the revenue was invested in anticipation of the eventual exhaustion of the resource. Now that this has occurred, the Government, in common with a number of other small island states, looked to offshore financial services to sustain the economy. However, the laxity of Nauru’s newly established tax and financial disclosure arrangements attracted much foreign money of allegedly uncertain or dubious origin. From 1997 onwards, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the organisation representing the world’s richest two dozen economies) took the lead in constructing an international regime to crack down on money-laundering. Most of the several dozen countries loosely described as ‘tax havens’ have complied with the new system: Nauru is one of the seven which have refused to do so. Accordingly, in April 2002, it was ‘named and shamed’ and now faces sanctions. Nauru has few other strings to its economic bow. There is some agriculture, exploiting what little fertile land is available. Although the island has a benign climate and attractive features, the potential of any tourism industry is limited by Nauru’s remoteness. Australia and New Zealand are the island’s main trading partners, and supply almost all basic and capital goods. Important fisheries legislation passed in 1997/98 means that the island’s marine resources may finally be properly utilised following the completion of a new harbour. Business: Shirt and smart trousers or skirt will suffice; more formal wear is needed only for very special occasions. English and French are widely spoken. The best time to visit is May to October. Office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1330-1630. Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: Bank of Nauru, PO Box 289, Civic Centre, Nauru (tel: 444 3238 or 444 3267 or 444 3241; fax: 444 3203). Climate A maritime, equatorial climate tempered by northeast trade winds from March to October. The wettest period is during the westerly monsoon from November to February. If global warming causes sea levels to rise, the habitable low-lying land areas will be at risk from tidal surges and flooding. Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens with waterproofing all year. History and Government History: Nauru is one of the world’s smallest and most remote sovereign states and was one of the many Pacific islands first settled centuries ago by the dauntless seafaring Polynesian and Melanesian explorers. It was allocated to Germany under the 1887 Anglo-German Convention shortly before phosphate, the island’s principal raw material, was discovered at the turn of the century. Nauru was captured by Australian forces in 1914 and continued under Australian rule (other than a period of Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945) until independence was granted in 1968. A plan to evacuate the islanders in order to develop Nauru’s remaining phosphate deposits precipitated the protest movement that eventually led to independence. Nauru sought compensation from the British, Australian and New Zealand governments, and after lengthy and heated negotiations a Compact of Settlement was signed in August 1993; Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom all proffered contributions. Revenue from phosphate sales was invested in a long-term trust fund, but the trust’s subsequent history has been a shadowy one whose main beneficiaries appear to be the lawyers charged with investigating bogus claims and fraudulent investments. Nauru’s first head of state was the Head Chief, Hammer DeRoburt, who held power for most of the time between independence and 1989 (in 1976, Parliament unseated DeRoburt after some members objected to his autocratic style, but he was re-elected two years later, winning further elections in 1980, 1983 and 1986). Finally, in December 1989, DeRoburt was defeated by Bernard Dowiyogo who went on to win a second term in 1992. However, the 1995 poll resulted in Dowiyogo’s removal, defeated nine votes to eight by Lagumot Harris. Since then, Nauruan politics have been dominated by the struggle – punctuated by occasional truces – between these two men and their supporters. Harris has been in charge since 2001. Along with other members of the South Pacific Forum, the main lobbying group in the region, Nauru objected fiercely to the final series of French nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Diplomatic relations with France were suspended in 1995 but resumed once the French made it clear that there would be no future tests. A more pressing issue for Nauru is the global environment, and especially global warming: as a low-lying island, its very existence may be threatened by a rise in sea levels. In common with other small island states, Nauru has attempted to develop an ‘offshore’ financial services industry to diversify its otherwise limited economy. This has led to problems with the organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which has been leading a campaign against international money-laundering. Nauru is one of seven nations which, in April 2002, were ‘named and shamed’ by the OECD because of their failure to tackle the problem. Government: The president of Nauru is elected by the 18-member unicameral parliament, itself elected by universal adult suffrage every three years. The President wields executive power assisted by an appointed cabinet of ministers. Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.