Map of Kiribati | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 717 km²
Land:
Comparative:

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 1,143 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none

Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Elevation

Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Land use: arable land: NEGL%; permanent crops: 51%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 3%; other 46%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 74,788 (July 1992), growth rate 2.1% (1992)

Nationality:

Ethnic groups: Micronesian

Languages: English (official), Gilbertese

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 33 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 12 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 99 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati; note - pronounced Kiribas

Government type: republic

Capital: Tarawa

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Constitution: 12 July 1979

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18
President: last held on 8 July 1991 (next to be held May 1995); results - Teatao TEANNAKI 52%, Roniti TEIWAKI 28%
House of Assembly: last held on 8 May 1991 (next to be held May 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA

Executive branch: president (Beretitenti), vice president (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti), Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) lives in Tarawa (Kiribati)
US: the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The country has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP declined about 8% in 1987, as the fish catch fell sharply to only one-fourth the level of 1986 and copra production was hampered by repeated rains. Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP growing by 17%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish catch. Following the strong surge in output in 1988, GNP increased 1% in both 1989 and 1990.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $36.8 million, per capita $525; real growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing; copra and fish contribute about 95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops - taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food

Industries: fishing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 0% (1988 est.), accounts for less than 4% of GDP

Labor force: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.)
Organized labor: Kiribati Trades Union Congress - 2,500 members

Unemployment rate: 2% (1985; considerable underemployment

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $29.9 million; expenditures $16.3 million, including capital expenditures of $14.0 million (1990 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: NA

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $5.8 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: fish 55%, copra 42%
Partners: EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)

Imports: $26.7 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment
Partners: Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3177 (March 1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986)


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Electricity
Production: 5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs