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

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