World Factbook
Nauru
Republic of Nauru
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
21 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
21 sq km
Climate
tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Land use
other
80% (2023 est.)
forest
0% (2022 est.)
agricultural land
20% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 20% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Location
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Coastline
30 km
Elevation
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Command Ridge 70 m
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Map references
Oceania
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
periodic droughts
Geography - note
Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind the Holy See (Vatican City) and Monaco; it is the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the world's smallest independent republic; situated just 53 km south of the equator, 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
Natural resources
phosphates, fish
Area - comparative
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Population distribution
most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast