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The Republic of Kiribati is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The country's 33 atolls are scattered over 3800 km2 near the equator. Its name is pronounced /kiribas/ and is a Micronesian transliteration of "Gilberts", the English name for the main group of islands: the former Gilbert Islands.
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| National motto: 'Maaka te atua, karinea te uea; mataku i te atua, fakamamalu ki te tupu (I-Kiribati: Fear the God, respect the king) | |||||
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| Official language | English | ||||
| Capital | Tarawa | ||||
| President | Anote Tong | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 172nd 717 kmē 0% | ||||
| Population
- Total (2001) - Density | Ranked 195th
94,149 131/kmē | ||||
| Independence | July 12, 1979 | ||||
| Currency | Australian dollar | ||||
| Time zone | UTC +12, +13, +14 | ||||
| National anthem | Teirake Kaini Kiribati | ||||
| Internet TLD | .KI | ||||
| Calling Code | 686 | ||||
| Table of contents |
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2 Politics 3 Districts 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics |
Since 1892, the Gilbert Islands was a British protectorate together with the nearby Ellice Islands. They became a colony in 1916 and then autonomous in 1971.
In 1978, the Ellice Islands became the independent nation of Tuvalu, followed by Kiribati independence in 1979.
With independence, the United States relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line islands which became part of Kiribati territory.
The parliament of Kiribati, called Maneaba ni Maungatabu is elected every four years, and consists of 36 representatives.
The president is both head of state and head of government, and is called Beretitenti.
Each of the 21 inhabited islands has a local council that takes care of the daily affairs.
Kiribati is divided into 6 districts:
Kiribati consists of three archipelagos;
the Gilbert Islands (16 atolls) located some 1500 km north of Fiji,
the Phoenix Islands (8 atolls) located some 1800 km southeast of the Gilberts, and the Line Islands (9 atolls) located about 3300 km east of the Gilberts.
The Line Islands also include Jarvis Island, Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll, but these are uninhabited and remain under United States administration.
The principal islands (islands and reefs indicated by *) and atolls of each archipelago are:
Kiribati has few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence.
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.
Foreign financial aid, largely from the United Kingdom and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years.
While English is the official language, I-Kiribati,
the native Micronesian language, is widely spoken. Christianity is the major religion in the country, although mixed with many practices of the indigenous religions.
History
Main article: History of KiribatiPolitics
Main article: Politics of KiribatiDistricts
Main article: Districts of Kiribati
Geography
Main article: Geography of Kiribati
Most of the land in Kiribati consists of the sand and reef rock islets of atolls that rise but a few meters above sea level. The soil is thin and calcareous, making agriculture very difficult. Economy
Main article: Economy of KiribatiDemographics
Main article: Demographics of KiribatiCulture
Main article: Culture of KiribatiMiscellaneous topics
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