The Gilbert Islands were
granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979
under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the
sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of
friendship with Kiribati.
Geography
Kiribati
Location:
Oceania, group of 33 coral
atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is
about half way between Hawaii and Australia; note - on 1 January 1995,
Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory lies in the same time zone
as its Gilbert Islands group (UTC +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and
the Line Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the
International Date Line
Geographic coordinates:
1 25 N, 173 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 811 sq km
land: 811 sq km water: 0 sq km note:
includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix
Islands
typhoons can occur any time,
but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of
the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level
Environment - current issues:
heavy pollution in lagoon of
south Tarawa atoll due to heavy migration mixed with traditional practices
such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk
Environment - 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
Geography - note:
21 of the 33 islands are
inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great
phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in
French Polynesia, and Nauru
total: 20.6 years
male: 20.1 years female: 21.1 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.235% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
30.31 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
7.97 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74
male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 44.69
deaths/1,000 live births male: 49.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 39.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.85
years male: 59.79 years female: 66.06 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.08 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: I-Kiribati
(singular and plural) adjective: I-Kiribati
Ethnic groups:
Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2%
(2000 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant
(Congregational) 40%, other (includes Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim,
Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, Church of God) 8% (1999)
Languages:
I-Kiribati, English (official)
Literacy:
NA
Government
Kiribati
Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of Kiribati conventional short form: Kiribati
local long form: Republic of Kiribati local short
form: Kiribati note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Tarawa
geographic coordinates: 1 19 N, 172 58 E time
difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line
Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - in addition, there are 6 districts
(Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern
Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island councils - one for each of the inhabited
islands (Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari,
Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti,
Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)
Independence:
12 July 1979 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 July
(1979)
Constitution:
12 July 1979
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO;
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003);
Vice President Teima ONORIO cabinet: 12-member cabinet
appointed by the president from among the members of the House of
Parliament elections: the House of Parliament chooses the
presidential candidates from among its members and then those candidates
compete in a general election; president is elected by popular vote for a
four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 17
October 2007 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed by the
president election results: Anote TONG 63.7%, Nabuti
MWEMWENIKARAWA 32.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Parliament
or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats; 44 members elected by popular vote, 1
ex officio member - the attorney general, 1 nominated by the Rabi Council
of Leaders (representing Banaba Island); to serve four-year terms)
elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the
first round on 22 August 2007 and the second round on 30 August 2007 (next
to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - NA, other 2 (includes attorney general)
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; High Court; 26
Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:
Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK
[Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO];
Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP; National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry
TONG] note: there is no tradition of formally organized
political parties in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or
interest groups because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms,
or party structures
Kiribati does not have an
embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy
in Kiribati; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati
Flag description:
the upper half is red with a
yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is
blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
Economy
Kiribati
Economy - overview:
A remote country of 33
scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources. Commercially
viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from
the UK in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and
exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic
development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak
infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. Tourism
provides more than one-fifth of GDP. Private sector initiatives and a
financial sector are in the early stages of development. Foreign financial
aid from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and China equals more than 10%
of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad account for more
than $5 million each year. Kiribati receives around $15 million annually
for the government budget from an Australian trust fund.
US 22.8%, Belgium 21.5%, Japan
14.3%, Samoa 7.8%, Australia 7.5%, Malaysia 6.7%, Taiwan 5.6%, Denmark
4.6% (2006)
Imports:
$62 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and
equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel
Imports - partners:
Australia 33%, Fiji 27.1%,
Japan 18.1%, NZ 6.9% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$27.84 million largely from UK
and Japan (2005)
Debt - external:
$10 million (1999 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
AUD
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US
dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),
1.5419 (2003)
Fiscal year:
NA
Communications
Kiribati
Telephones - main lines in use:
4,500 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
600 (2004)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
generally good quality national and international service
domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati
(Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF radiotelephone;
wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999 international:
country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean
Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone
service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (may be
inactive) (2002)
Radios:
17,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (possibly inactive) (2002)
Televisions:
1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ki
Internet hosts:
41 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
2,000 (2006)
Transportation
Kiribati
Airports:
19 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4 1,524 to
2,437 m: 4 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 15 914 to
1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 4 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 670 km (1999)
Waterways:
5 km (small network of canals
in Line Islands) (2007)
