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.

Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N 173 00 E

Area
Rank: 187
Land: 811 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: four times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1143 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m

Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Land use
Permanent crops: 39.51%
Other: 58.02% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

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)

Population: 104,488 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 194
Growth rate: 1.18% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 102
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
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.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 21.3% (male 11,099/female 11,122)
25-54 years: 37.8% (male 18,978/female 20,477)
55-64 years: 5.5% (male 2,605/female 3,137)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1630/female 2,510) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 48.7 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.6 %
Potential support ratio: 15.2 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 22.7 years
Female: 24.4 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.18% (2014 est.)
Rank: 102

Birth rate: 21.85 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 75

Death rate: 7.18 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 125

Net migration rate: -2.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 176

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.83% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: TARAWA (capital) 44,000 (2011)

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 signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.1

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 63
Male: 36.59 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 34.08 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 173
Male: 63.03 years
Female: 68.02 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.56 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 77

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 22.3% (2009)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.38 physicians/1000 population (2010)

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

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 46% (2008)
Rank: 8

Education expenditures: 12% of GDP (2001)
Rank: 4

Literacy: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2008)

Country name
Conventional short form: Kiribati
Local long form: Republic of Kiribati
Local short form: Kiribati
Former: Gilbert Islands

Government type: republic

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 1 21 N 173 02 E
Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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)

Independence: 12 July 1979 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 12 July (1979)

Constitution: preindependence - The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915 The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975; latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence); amended 1995 (2013)

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO
Cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Parliament
Elections: the House of Parliament nominates the presidential candidates from among its members following parliamentary elections and then those candidates compete in a general election; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on 13 January 2012 (next to be held in 2015); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Anote TONG 42.2% Tetaua TAITAI 35% Rimeta BENIAMINA 22.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats; 44 members elected by popular vote 1 ex officio member - the attorney general 1 nominated by the Rabi Council of Leaders (representing Banaba Island); members serve four-year terms)
Elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first round on 21 October 2011 and the second round on 28 October 2011 (next to be held in 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA other 2 (includes attorney general)

Judicial branch: 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 (PSC); 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:

International organization participation: 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 WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 800 Second Avenue Suite 400A New York New York 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 867-3,310
In the us FAX: [1] (212) 867-3,320
In the us consulate: there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the US ambassador to Fiji currently Ambassador Frankie A. REED 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 anthem
Lyrics and music: Urium Tamuera IOTEBA

Economy overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls Kiribati has few natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Islands. 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. Private sector initiatives and a financial sector are in the early stages of development. Foreign financial aid from the EU UK US Japan Australia New Zealand Canada UN agencies and Taiwan accounts for 20-25% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from an Australian trust fund.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 212

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 118

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 146

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 7.9%
Services: 67.8% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: copra taro breadfruit sweet potatoes vegetables; fish

Industries: fishing handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 7,870
Rank: 218
By occupation industry: 32%
By occupation services: 65.3% (2000)

Unemployment rate: 2% (1992 est.)
Rank: 13

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Expenditures: $107.1 million (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -29.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 216

Taxes and other revenues: 32.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 81

Fiscal year: NA

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.2% (2007 est.)
Rank: 11

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$21 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 66

Exports: $17 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 215
Commodities: copra 62% coconuts seaweed fish

Imports: $62 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 216
Commodities: foodstuffs machinery and equipment miscellaneous manufactured goods fuel

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

Debt external: $10 million (1999 est.)
Rank: 196

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 25 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 213
Consumption: 23.25 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 213
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 155
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 163
Installed generating capacity: 5,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 210
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 18
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 119
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 177
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 188

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 184
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 138
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 204
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 150

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 159
Products consumption: 300 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 209
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 190
Products imports: 420 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 206

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 149
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 161
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 129
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 85
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 155

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 59,340 Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 9,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 201
Mobile cellular: 16,000 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 211

Telephone system
Domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island); 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 (Pacific Ocean) (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
Hosts: 327 (2012)
Hosts rank: 188
Users: 7,800 (2009)
Users rank: 204

Airports: 19 (2013)
Rank: 137
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways: 5 (2013)

Roadways
Rank: 190

Waterways: 5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2012)
Rank: 108

Merchant marine
Rank: 58
By type: bulk carrier 7 cargo 35 chemical tanker 6 passenger 1 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 12 refrigerated cargo 15
Foreign owned: 43 (China 26 Hong Kong 2 Russia 1 Singapore 9 South Korea 1 Taiwan 2 Vietnam 2) (2010)

Disputes international: none