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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 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.