Nauru

The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888. Its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
==Economical characteristics==
* Currency: Usually the Australian dollar (ISO code: AUD)
* This country does not seem to have a central bank.
===Statistics===
Statistic / Year 	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
GDP (USD)World Bank. "Nauru: GDP", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-05. 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Govt. debt (% of GDP)World Bank. "Nauru: government debt", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-05. 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Govt. revenue (% of GDP)World Bank. "Nauru: government revenue", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-05. 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Govt. expenses (% of GDP)World Bank. "Nauru: government expenses", from World Bank Data. Referenced 2010-10-05.	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Debt to revenue (years) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==References==
Note: statistical data was rounded. Different sources may use different methodologies for their estimates. Debt to revenue is calculated by dividing the two variables from their original ('unrounded') values. It represents how long it would a government take to repay its entire debt if it used its whole revenue for this purpose.
==External links==
* Nauru on Wikipedia
* BBC country profile
Category:Countries