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Nauru Geography
Nauru Geography: A summary of information about Nauru Geography, from government research data as well as independent research and other sources.
Nauru: Geography
Location
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Map references
Oceania
Area
total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
30 km
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate
tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Natural resources
phosphates
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Natural hazards
periodic droughts
Environment - current issues
limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly by a UK, Australia, and New Zealand consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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
