World Facts

conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
Capital: Tarawa
Type of Government: republic-
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)
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 38.9% (male 20,342/female 19,806)
Agriculture: copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish
Airports: 20 (2004 est.)-
With Paved Runways:
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 811 sq km. four times the size of Washington, DC
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.
Birth rate: 30.86 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $28.4 million
Coastline: 1,143 km-
Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Communications:
Constitution: 12-Jul-79
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)-
Current account balance:
Death rate: 8.37 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $10 million (1999 est.)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati
Diplomatic representation in the US: Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
Disputes - international: none-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: $15.5 million largely from UK and Japan (2001 est.)
Economy - overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural 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 from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and China equals 25%-50% of GDP. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year.-
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
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
Environment - International Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
Ethnic groups: Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2% (2000 census)
Exchange rates: Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.31 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Exports: $17 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - partners: France 45.7%, Japan 29.2%, US 9.1%, Thailand 5.4% (2004)
Fiscal year: NA
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
GDP (official exchange rate): NA
GDP (purchasing power parity): $79 million - supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E
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-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA-
Illicit drugs:
Imports: $62 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - partners: Australia 33.6%, Fiji 29.8%, Japan 10.3%, New Zealand 6.9%, France 4.1% (2004)
Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1991 est.)
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
Infant mortality rate: total: 48.52 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2001 est.)-
International organization participation:
Internet country code: .ki-
Internet hosts:
Internet users: 2,000 (2002)-
Investment (gross fixed):
Irrigated land: NA
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president
Labor force: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001 est.)-
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: 0 km
Land use: arable land: 2.74%
Languages: I-Kiribati, English (official)
Legal system: NA
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61.71 years
Literacy: definition: NA
Location: Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator; the capital Tarawa is about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group (GMT +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the International Date Line-
Major infectious diseases: -
Manpower available for military service: -
Manpower fit for military service: -
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Map references: Oceania
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 20.05 years-
Merchant marine:
Military - note: Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ
Military branches: no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts are on all islands)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: NA-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: -
Military service age and obligation:
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Nationality: noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: -
Natural gas - proved reserves:
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 changes in sea level
Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 200 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)-
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP [leader NA]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry TONG]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
Population: 103,092 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 2.25% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Betio-
Public debt: -
Radio broadcast stations: -
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God (1999)-
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: -
Roadways:
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: generally good quality national and international service
Telephones - main lines in use: 4,500 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 500 (2002)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (not reported to be active) (2002)
Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 2%
Waterways: 5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2003)