Map of Kiribati | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. 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 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N 173 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 811 km²
Land: 811 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands Line Islands and Phoenix Islands - dispersed over about 3.5 million km²
Rank: 187
Comparative: four times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1143 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m

Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) coconuts (copra) fish

Land use
Agricultural land: 42%
Forest: 15%
Other: 43%

Irrigated land: NA

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 sensitive to changes in sea level

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; Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern southern eastern and western)


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Population: 105,711 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 193
Growth rate: 1.15% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 105
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: I-Kiribati
Adjective: I-Kiribati

Ethnic groups: I-Kiribati 89.5% I-Kiribati/mixed 9.7% Tuvaluan 0.1% other 0.8% (2010 est.)

Languages: I-Kiribati English (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 55.8% Kempsville Presbyterian Church 33.5% Mormon 4.7% Baha'i 2.3% Seventh Day Adventist 2% other 1.5% none 0.2% unspecified 0.05% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.77%
15-24 years: 21.28%
25-54 years: 38.23%
55-64 years: 5.66%
65 years and over: 4.05% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 63%
Youth dependency ratio: 57%
Elderly dependency ratio: 6%
Potential support ratio: 16.6%

Median age
Total: 23.9 years
Male: 23.1 years
Female: 24.8 years

Population growth rate: 1.15% (2015 est.)
Rank: 105

Birth rate: 21.46 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 75

Death rate: 7.12 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 127

Net migration rate: -2.87 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 179

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 44.3% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.78% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: TARAWA (capital) 46,000 (2014)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male/female
25-54 years: 0.93 male/female
55-64 years: 0.83 male/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 34.26 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 35.48 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 32.99 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 62

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.81 years
Male: 63.36 years
Female: 68.39 years
Rank: 174

Total fertility rate: 2.48 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 79

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 22.3% (2009)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.38 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 40.1% (2014)
Rank: 8

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 14.9% (2009)
Rank: 48

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years

Youth unemployment


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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
Etymology: the name is the local pronounciation of 'Gilberts' the former designation of the islands; originally named after explorer Thomas GILBERT who mapped many of the islands in 1788

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Tarawa
Geographic coordinates: 1 21 N 173 02 E
Time difference: UTC+12
Note: on 1 January 1995 Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory was in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction were on the other side of the International Date Line

Administrative divisions: 3 geographical units: Gilbert Islands Line Islands Phoenix Islands; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions but 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 areas

Independence: 12 July 1979 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 12 July (1979)

Constitution: The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915 The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (preindependence); latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence); amended several times last in 2013 (2015)

Legal system: English common law supplemented by customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Kiribati
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Anote TONG ; Vice President Teima ONORIO (since 2003); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Anote TONG ; Vice President Teima ONORIO (since 2003)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote following nomination of candidates from among House of Assembly members; term is 4 years ; election last held on 13 January 2012 (next to be held in 2015); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Anote TONG TONG elected president; percent of vote - Anote TONG 42.2% Tetaua TAITAI (KTK) 35% Rimeta BENIAMINA (MKP) 22.8%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu
Elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first on 21 October 2011 and the second on 28 October 2011
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA other 2

Judicial branch
Highest court: High Court ; note - the High Court has jurisdiction on constitutional issues
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president on the advice of the cabinet in consultation with the Public Service Commission ; other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice along with the PSC
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts

Political parties and leaders:
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

International organization participation: ABEDA ACP ADB AOSIS C FAO IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IOC ITU ITUC (NGOs) OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UPU WHO WIPO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none; the Kiribati Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy; it is headed by Makurita BAARO (since 21 May 2014); address: 800 Second Avenue Suite 400A New York NY 10,017; telephone: [1](212)867-3,310; FAX: [1](212)867-3,320
In the us note: there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati

Flag description: the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the Pacific ocean; the white stripes represent the three island groups - the Gilbert Line and Phoenix Islands; the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island); the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom

National symbols: frigatebird; national colors: red white blue yellow

National anthem
Name: 'Teirake kaini Kiribati'
Lyrics and music: Urium Tamuera IOTEBA
Note: adopted 1979

National heritage


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Economy overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls Kiribati has few natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Island countries. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the United Kingdom in 1979. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers weak infrastructure and remoteness from international markets. The public sector dominates economic activity with ongoing capital projects in infrastructure including the road rehabilitation water and sanitation projects and renovations to the international airport spurring some growth. Earnings from fishing licenses and seafarer remittances are important sources of income. In 2013 the International Monetary Fund estimated that fishing licenses revenues contributed close to half of government’s total revenue and total remittances from seafarers were equivalent to 6% of GDP. However remittances and the number of seafarers employed have declined since the global crisis. Kiribati is dependent on foreign aid which was estimated to have contributed over 43% in 2013 to the government’s finances. The country’s sovereign fund the Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund (RERF) which is held offshore had an estimated balance of $668 million in 2013 equivalent to 381% of GDP. The RERF seeks to avoid exchange rate risk by holding investments in more than 20 currencies including the Australian dollar United States dollar the Japanese yen and the Euro. Drawdowns from the RERF helped finance the government’s annual budget.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 219

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 86

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 211

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26.3%
Industry: 9.2%
Services: 64.5%

Agriculture products: copra breadfruit fish

Industries: fishing handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: 1.1% (2012 est.)
Rank: 129

Labor force: 39,000
Note: economically active not including subsistence farmers
Rank: 198
By occupation agriculture: 15%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 75%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 188

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $197.9 million
Expenditures: $179.9 million
Surplus or deficit: 9.9% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 6

Taxes and other revenues: 109.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 1

Public debt:
Rank: 164

Revenue

Fiscal year: NA

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 107

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: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 65

Exports:
Rank: 196
Commodities: fish coconut products

Imports:
Rank: 208
Commodities: food machinery and equipment miscellaneous manufactured goods fuel

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $8.37 million (31 December 2010 est.)

Debt external:
Rank: 199

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:
Note: the Australian dollar circulates as legal tender


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Electricity
Production: 26 million kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 212
Consumption: 24.18 million kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 212
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 157
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 167
Installed generating capacity: 5,000 kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 212
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 15
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 121
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 180
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 188

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 153
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 147
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 209
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 152

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 197
Products consumption: 400 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 209
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 189
Products imports: 420.4 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 206

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 207
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 160
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 127
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 89
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 155

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 58,450 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 208

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 9,200
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9
Fixed lines rank: 200
Mobile cellular total: 18,100
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17
Mobile cellular rank: 211

Telephone system
General assessment: generally good quality national and international service
Domestic: wireline service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati ; 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 (2010)

Broadcast media: 1 TV broadcast station that provides about 1 hour of local programming Monday-Friday; multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM FM and shortwave (2009)

Internet
Country code: .ki
Users total: 12,200
Users percent of population: 11.7%
Users rank: 204

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

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: 19 (2013)
Rank: 138
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways total: 15
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways: 5 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 670 km
Rank: 191

Waterways: 5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2012)
Rank: 107

Merchant marine
Total: 77
By type: bulk carrier 7 cargo 35 chemical tanker 6 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 12 refrigerated cargo 15
Foreign owned: 43 (2010)
Rank: 59

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Betio Canton Island English Harbor


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs