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.

Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 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 claims
Exclusive 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

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

Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Land use
Arable land: NA%
Permanent crops: 51%
Permanent pastures: NA%
Forests and woodland: 3%
Other: 46% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes

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

Population: 83,976 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.82% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: 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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population 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.)

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, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Infant mortality rate: 49.69 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.61 years
Male: 60.79 years
Female: 64.68 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.13 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Literacy: NA

Country name
Conventional 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)

Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Constitution: 12 July 1979

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief 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

International 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 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

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. 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 growth rate: 1.9% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $800 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 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.)

Budget
Revenues: $33.3 million
Expenditures: $47.7 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A million (1996 est.)

Fiscal year: NA

Exports: 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)

Debt external: $7.2 million (1996 est.)

Exchange 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)

Electricity
Capacity: 2,000 kW (1995)
Production: 7 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 88 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 1,400 (1984 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: 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

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 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.)

Railways: 0 km

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

Merchant marine
Total: 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.)

Disputes international: none