Geography and Environment

Geography and Environment of Nauru

Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of Nauru.

Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Climate: tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
Highest Point: 61 — unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural Resources: Phosphates and fish represent Nauru's primary natural resources. Phosphate deposits, formed from ancient seabird guano, were once abundant and drove significant economic activity throughout the 20th century. However, decades of intensive mining have left the island's interior largely depleted and environmentally degraded, with only limited lower-grade phosphate reserves remaining. Efforts to rehabilitate mined-out lands and explore secondary extraction of residual deposits continue, though large-scale phosphate production as it once existed is no longer viable. The surrounding Pacific waters offer substantial marine resources, and fishing rights within Nauru's exclusive economic zone represent an increasingly important asset, with licensing agreements providing a meaningful source of national revenue.
Natural Hazards: periodic droughts

Current Environmental 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 NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
International Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Detailed geography