Demography
The tiny equatorial island of Nauru has been inhabited for about 2,000 years. Today, most of the people of Nauru live along a narrow and fertile coastal strip of the island. The total population numbers just under11,000.
Ethnicity
Its population is approximately 58 percent indigenous Nauruan and 26 percent other Pacific Islander, with sizable minorities of both Europeans and Chinese, each numbering about 8 percent respectively. The indigenous Nauruans are a mixture of three Pacific ethnic groups: Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian). A small overseas population also lives in Nauru, made up mainly of Chinese, Filipinos, Tuvaluans and I-Kiribati.
Language
Nauruans also have their own distinct Pacific language, though most people speak or understand English.
Religion
The population is largely Christian as a result of missionary activity in the 19th century. Most Christians tend to belong to Protestant denominations.
Education
Education in Nauru is both free and compulsory from age 5 through 16. There are 6 infant schools, 2 primary schools, 1 secondary school, a technical school and a mission school on Nauru. Students who wish to pursue higher education are often granted scholarships to study abroad.
Human Development
The population of Nauru has an average life expectancy ranging from 60 to 68 years, depending on the sources used. According to the CIA Factbook, the average life expectancy is 63.81 years (male: 60.2 years; female: 67.6 years).
The infant mortality rate for Nauru was 9.43 deaths for every 1000 live births, the birth rate is about 24.47 births per 1,000, and the overall population growth rate is 1.78 percent.
In terms of health, diabetes, cancer and hpertension all present serious problems in contemporary society, due to a highly Westernized diet. Another health challenge has been the increase in the rate of alcoholism in Nauru. Nevertheless, medical and dental care are provided free for all Nauruans.
About 12.1 percent of GDP is spend on health expenditures. Access to water is considered to be good; sanitation standards are average.
Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief,
www.countrywatch.com; see Bibliography for list research sources.