US--the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru

_#_Flag: blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the
center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist
side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the
Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original
tribes of Nauru

_*_Economy
_#_Overview: Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves
of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have
given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third
World--$10,000 annually. Few other resources exist so
most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from
Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income
from phosphates constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial
investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the
transition.

_#_GNP: over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA%
(1989)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

_#_Unemployment rate: 0%

_#_Budget: revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)

_#_Exports: $93 million (f.o.b., 1984);

commodities--phosphates;

partners--Australia, NZ

_#_Imports: $73 million (c.i.f., 1984);

commodities--food, fuel, manufactures, building materials,
machinery;

partners--Australia, UK, NZ, Japan

_#_External debt: $33.3 million

_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%

_#_Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 50 million kWh produced,
5,430 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts

_#_Agriculture: negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for
food and water

_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries (1970-1988), $2 million

_#_Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars);
1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

_#_Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January
1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905
(1986), 1.4269 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the
island to processing facilities on the southwest coast

_#_Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth

_#_Ports: Nauru

_#_Merchant marine: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,261
GRT/39