Statistical information Kiribati 1998

Kiribati in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note_on 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country
Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E
Map reference:
OceaniaAreaTotal: 717 km²
Land: 717 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes three island groups_Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
Comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,143 km
Maritime claimsExclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m
Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Land useArable land: NA%
Permanent crops: 51%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: 3%
Other: 46% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes
GeographyNote: 20 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
top of pagePopulation: 83,976 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.82% (1998 est.)
NationalityNoun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
Adjective: I-Kiribati
Ethnic groups: Micronesian
Languages: English (official), Gilbertese
Religions: Roman Catholic 53%, Protestant (Congregational) 41%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985 est.)
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.82% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 26.46 births/1000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 7.62 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 49.69 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 62.61 years
Male: 60.79 years
Female: 64.68 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.13 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: NA
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
Conventional short form: Kiribati
Note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss
Former: Gilbert Islands
Government type: republic
Capital: Tarawa
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)
Dependent areasIndependence: 12 July 1979 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Constitution: 12 July 1979
Legal system: NA
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government: ead of
Government: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Assembly, includes the president, vice president, attorney general, and up to eight other ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; note_the House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates from among their members and then those candidates compete in a general election; election last held 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA September 1998); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Teburoro TITO elected president; percent of vote_Teburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA 18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%, Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (41 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member, and one nominated to represent Banaba; members serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_Maneaban Te Mauri Party 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges at all levels are appointed by the president; High Court, judges at all levels are appointed by the president; 26 Magistrates' courts judges at all levels are appointed by the president
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national 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. Real GDP growth has declined from about 10% in 1988 to about 2.6% in 1995 and 1.9% in 1996. Growth in 1997 was expected to parallel the 1996 performance. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. The financial sector is at an early stage of development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal in amount to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 1.9% (1996 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $800 (1996 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 14%
Industry: 7%
Services: 79% (1996 est.)
Agriculture products: copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1992 est.)
Labor force: total:7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $33.3 million
Expenditures: $47.7 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A million (1996 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: NA
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: total value:$6.7 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodoties: copra 62%, seaweed, fish
Partners: US, Australia, NZ (1996)
Imports: total value:$37.4 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel
Partners: Australia 46%, Fiji, Japan, NZ, US (1996)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $7.2 million (1996 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1: 1.5281 (January 1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 2,000 kW (1995)
Production: 7 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 88 kWh (1995)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 1,400 (1984 est.)
Telephone systemDomestic: NA
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 21 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 17
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailways: 0 km
RoadwaysWaterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
Merchant marineTotal: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,248 GRT/4,496 DWT
Ships by type: oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs