Nauru is a republic with a parliamentary system of government.[33] The president is both head of state and head of government. A 19-member unicameral parliament is elected every three years. The parliament elects the president from its members, and the president appoints a cabinet of five to six members.
With a population of ten thousand in 2011, Nauru ranks around 230th in the world by population. Its population density is 478 inhabitants per square kilometre (185 per square mile). The overall life expectancy in Nauru at birth is 59.7 years. The total fertility rate of 3.70 children per mother is one of the highest in the Oceania.
Nauru may not initially appear to contain many tourist attractions on its surface, but the island does hold a few unusual landmarks worth a closer look. Buada Lagoon is one of the few places on the island where trees grow freely. The Moqua Well, actually an underground lake, and Moqua Caves stand steps from the parliament building and the airport. Nauru’s highest point, the 213-foot Command Ridge, may not look like an impressive mountain peak, but its summit is among the few in the world where climbers can admire the view of an entire country.