Map of Kiribati | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: 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: Oceania

Area
Comparative: four times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1143 km

Maritime claims

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

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low-level of some of the islands make them very sensitive to sea-level rise

Geography
Note: 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


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Population: 91,985 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.34% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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 profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.34% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 32.43 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.01 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 55.36 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 4.4 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic

Capital: Tarawa

Administrative divisions: 3 units; Gilbert Islands Line Islands Phoenix Islands

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 12 July (1979)

Constitution: 12 July 1979

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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)

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 leaders: Liberal Party [Tewareka TENTOA]; Maneaban Te Mauri Party [Teburoro TITO]; National Progressive Party [Teatao TEANNAKI]; New Movement Party [leader NA]

International organization participation: ACP AsDB C ESCAP IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFC IFRCS IMF Intelsat (nonsignatory user) Interpol ITU Sparteca SPC SPF UN UNESCO UPU WHO WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation
In 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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy 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. 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. 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 to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: copra taro breadfruit sweet potatoes vegetables; fish

Industries: fishing handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1992 est.)

Labor force: 7,870 economically active not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: NA

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2% (1999 est.)

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: $6 million (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: copra 62% seaweed fish
Partners: US Australia NZ (1996)

Imports: $37 million (c.i.f. 1998)
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and equipment miscellaneous manufactured goods fuel
Partners: Australia 46% Fiji Japan NZ US (1996)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $7.2 million (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.5207 (January 2000) 1.5497 (1999) 1.5888 (1998) 1.3439 (1997) 1.2773 (1996) 1.3486 (1995)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 7 million kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 7 million kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 0 (1995)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $N/A
Percent of gdp: NA%

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: 21 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs