overnment: President Rene HARRIS (since NA 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of
Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term;
election last held 27 April 1999 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: Rene HARRIS elected president; percent of Parliament
vote - NA
note: former President Bernard DOWIYOGO was deposed in a no-confidence
vote

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected
by popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 8 February 1997 (next to be held NA February
2000)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: loose multiparty system; Democratic
Party ; Nauru Party (informal)

International organization participation: AsDB, C, ESCAP, ICAO,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC,
SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Diplomatic representation in the US: Nauru does not have an embassy in
the US, but will open a UN office early in 2000 at 800 2nd Avenue, New
York, New York
consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

Flag description: 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

@Nauru:Economy

Economy - overview: Revenues of this tiny island come from exports of
phosphates, but reserves are expected to be exhausted in the year
2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita
incomes in the Third World, with estimates of GDP varying widely. Few
other resources exist, thus most necessities must be imported,
including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land
and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term
problems. Substantial amounts of phosphate income are invested in
trust funds to help cushion the transition. The government also has
been borrowing heavily from the trusts to finance fiscal deficits. To
cut costs the government has called for a freezing of wages, a
reduction of over-staffed public service dep