Natural resources, energy and environment
The large resources of phosphate have
completely characterized Nauru. The phosphate, which is
used to make fertilizers, is extracted from the
fossilized bird droppings that previously covered up to
80 percent of the island. Energy needs are covered by
imported oil.

Phosphate exports gave the country large income per
inhabitant during the first decades after independence
in 1968. However, the price of wealth has proved to be
high; the population suffers from welfare disorders (see
Social conditions) and most of the island is barren and
uninhabitable.
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COUNTRYAAH:
Major exports by Nauru with a full list of the top products exported by the country. Includes trade value in U.S. dollars and the percentage for each product category.
During the first year of the 21st century, production
of phosphate ceased, but in 2006 the recovery started
again after new assets were discovered. The phosphate is
now estimated to last up to 30 years.
Otherwise there are no exploitable natural resources
at Nauru except what the sea can offer (see Agriculture
and Fishing). The island lacks fresh water sources;
fresh water needs are covered by rain, desalination
plants and imports.
Because almost all Naurus live on the low-lying
coastal strip, they, like other peoples in the Pacific
Islands, are threatened by rising sea levels as a result
of climate change. If the sea surface rises, it can
become quite impossible to stay at Nauru. Phosphate
extraction has already destroyed most of the island,
which now largely looks like a lunar landscape.
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Abbreviationfinder: A popular acronym site in the world covering abbreviation for each country. For example, NA stands for Nauru.
FACTS - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Carbon dioxide emissions in total
48,000 tonnes (2014)
Carbon dioxide emissions per inhabitant
4.0 tons (2014)
The share of energy from renewable sources
0.1 percent (2015)
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