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
Mean elevation: 2 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m: 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: 0 km² (2012)

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
Distribution: consists of three achipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong: 108,145 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 191
Growth rate: 1.13% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 105
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: I-Kiribati
Adjective: I-Kiribati

Ethnic groups: I-Kiribati 96.2% I-Kiribati/mixed 1.8% Tuvaluan 0.2% other 1.8% (2015 est.)

Languages: I-Kiribati English (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 57.3% Kiribati Uniting Church 31.3% Mormon 5.3% Baha'i 2.1% Seventh Day Adventist 1.9% other 2.1% (2015 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 29.68%
15-24 years: 21.07%
25-54 years: 38.98%
55-64 years: 6.04%
65 years and over: 4.23% (2017 est.)

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

Median age
Total: 24.6 years
Male: 23.8 years
Female: 25.5 years
Rank: 158

Population growth rate: 1.13% (2017 est.)
Rank: 105

Birth rate: 21.2 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 76

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 130

Net migration rate: -2.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 174

Population distribution: consists of three achipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

Urbanization
Urban population: 44.6% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.9% 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: 0.82 male/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.1 years
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 32.1 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 33.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 30.9 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 58

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.5 years
Male: 64 years
Female: 69.1 years
Rank: 174

Total fertility rate: 2.39 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 85

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 22.3% (2009)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.2 physicians/1000 population (2013)

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: 46% (2016)
Rank: 9

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: 11 years
Female: 12 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: presidential 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 are 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 1995 2013 (2016)

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 Taneti MAAMAU ; Vice President Kourabi NENEM (since 17 March 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Taneti MAAMAU ; Vice President Kourabi NENEM (since 17 March 2016)
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 9 March 2016 (next to be held in 2020); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Taneti MAAMAU elected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU 60% Rimeta BENIAMINA 38.6% Taneti IOANE (BTK) 1.4%

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 - BTK 26 KTK and MKP 19 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: 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:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 220

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 89

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2016 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: 140

Labor force: 39,000
Note: economically active not including subsistence farmers
Rank: 199
By occupation agriculture: 15%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 75%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 204

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: 10.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 3

Taxes and other revenues: 118.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 2

Public debt:
Rank: 170

Revenue

Fiscal year: NA

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 122

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: 57

Exports:
Rank: 198
Commodities: fish coconut products
Partners: Morocco 19.8% Fiji 17.3% Philippines 10.2% US 10.1% Vietnam 7.9% Australia 4.2% (2016)

Imports:
Rank: 209
Commodities: food machinery and equipment miscellaneous manufactured goods fuel
Partners: Australia 22.9% NZ 20.9% Fiji 14.1% Singapore 10.5% Japan 8.1% China 6.9% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.479 million (31 December 2015 est.)
Rank: 175

Debt external:
Rank: 200

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
Access population without electricity: 43,839
Access electrification total population: 59%
Access electrification urban areas: 77%
Access electrification rural areas: 45%
Production: 24 million kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 212
Consumption: 22.32 million kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 212
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 155
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 166
Installed generating capacity: 8,000 kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 210
Generation sources fossil fuels: 62.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 121
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 121
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 182
Generation sources other renewable sources: 37.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 6

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 154
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 147
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 144
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 153

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 159
Products consumption: 400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 212
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 168
Products imports: 509.6 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 206

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 154
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 198
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 131
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 145
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 157

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 58,450 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 210

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 200
Mobile cellular total: 55,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 51
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; recently formed Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Kiribati Limited is implementing the first phase of improvements with 3G and 4G upgrades on some islands
International: country code - 686; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2016)

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: 14,649
Users percent of population: 13.7%
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: T3 (2016)

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 under 914 m: 5

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 670 km
Rank: 192

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: 58

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Betio Canton Island English Harbor


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Disputes international
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs