Fun Easy English - Travel abroad Kiribati.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Kiribati

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

The Republic of Kiribati (pronounced kir-ree-bas) is an island group in the Western Pacific Ocean. It consists of an archipelago of some 33 low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs, with a total land area of 800 square kilometers. Kiribati gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1979. Kiribati has an elected President and a legislative assembly. The capital city of Kiribati is Tarawa. Kiribati has few natural resources, and its economy is very small. Tourist facilities are not widely available.

GEOGRAPHY

Kiribati (pronounced "keer-ah-bhass") consists of 32 low-lying atolls and one raised island scattered over an expanse of ocean equivalent in size to the continental United States. The islands straddle the Equator and lie roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The three main groupings are the Gilbert Islands, Phoenix Islands, and Line Islands. In 1995 Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line to include its easternmost islands, making it the same day throughout the country.

Kiribati includes Kiritimati (Christmas Island), the largest coral atoll in the world, and Banaba (Ocean Island), one of the three great phosphate islands in the Pacific. Except on Banaba, very little land is more than three meters above sea level.

PEOPLE

The original inhabitants of Kiribati are Gilbertese, a Micronesian people. Approximately 90% of the population of Kiribati lives on the atolls of the Gilbert Islands. Although the Line Islands are about 2,000 miles east of the Gilbert Islands, most inhabitants of the Line Islands are also Gilbertese. Owing to severe overcrowding in the capital on South Tarawa, in the 1990s a program of directed migration moved nearly 5,000 inhabitants to outlying atolls, mainly in the Line Islands. The Phoenix Islands have never had any significant permanent population. A British effort to settle Gilbertese there in the 1930s lasted until the 1960s when it was determined the inhabitants could not be self-sustaining.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS

A valid passport with a minimum of six months validity until expiration date and a visa are required. Kiribati strictly enforces its immigration/visa requirements. Westerners, including American citizens, have been detained for visa violations. For information on entry requirements, please contact the Consulate of the Republic of Kiribati, 95 Nakolo Place, Rm. 265, Honolulu, Hawaii 96819, tel. (808) 834-6775, fax (808) 834-7604, or via e-mail kiribaticonsul@aol.com. See our Foreign Entry Requirements brochure for more information on Kiribati and other countries.

QUICK FACTS

Geography
Area: 719 sq. km (266 sq. mi.) on 32 atolls and one island.
Cities: Capital--Tarawa (pop. 30,000).
Terrain: Archipelagos of low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs.
Climate: Maritime equatorial or tropical.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--I-Kiribati (for both singular and plural, pronounced "ee-keer-ah-bhass").
Population (2006): 92,533. Age structure (2004)--38% under 14; 4% over 65.
Population growth rate: 2.25%.
Ethnic groups: Micronesian 99%.
Religion: Roman Catholic 55%, Kiribati Protestant 36%, other 9%.
Languages: English (official), Gilbertese/I-Kiribati (de facto).
Health (2004): Life expectancy--male 60 yrs., female 66 yrs. Infant mortality rate (2004)--49/1,000.
Work force: Majority engaged in subsistence activities.

Government
Type: Republic.
Independence (from United Kingdom): July 12, 1979.
Constitution: July 12, 1979.
Branches: Executive--president (head of state and government), vice president, cabinet. Legislative--unicameral House of Assembly. Judicial--High Court, Court of Appeal, magistrates' courts.
Major political parties: Parties are only very loosely organized--Boutokanto Koaava (Pillars of Truth), Maneaban Te Mauri (Protect the Maneaba), Maurin Kiribati Pati.

Economy (all figures in U.S. $)
GDP (2006, estimate): $64 million.
GDP per capita (2006): $673.
GDP composition by sector: Services 75%, agriculture 14%, industry 11%.
Industry: Types--tourism, copra, fish.
Trade (2005): Exports--$4.32 million: copra, pet fish, seaweed, shark fins. Export markets--Japan, Thailand, South Korea, United States, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Denmark. Imports--$78.2 million: food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment. Import sources--Australia, Fiji, Japan, France, New Zealand, United States, Korea, China, Thailand.
Currency: Australian dollar (A$).

USEFUL LINKS

U.S. Government