Kiribati

§1. Kiribati Introduction

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.

§2. Kiribati Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  1 25 N, 173 00 E

Map references:
  Oceania

Area:
  total: 811 km²
  land: 811 km²
  water: 0 km²
  note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix
    Islands

Area - comparative:
  four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  1,143 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 extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m

Natural resources:
  phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Land use:
  arable land: 2.74%
  permanent crops: 47.95%
  other: 49.31% (2005)

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 very sensitive to
  changes in sea level

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
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

§3. Kiribati People

Population:
  105,432 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 38.6% (male 20,608/female 20,060)
  15-64 years: 58.1% (male 30,216/female 31,004)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 1,517/female 2,027) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 20.2 years
  male: 19.8 years
  female: 20.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.24% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  30.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 47.27 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 52.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 41.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 62.08 years
  male: 59.06 years
  female: 65.24 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
  adjective: I-Kiribati

Ethnic groups:
  Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2% (2000 census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day
  Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, Church of God (1999)

Languages:
  I-Kiribati, English (official)

Literacy:
  definition: NA
  total population: NA
  male: NA
  female: NA

§4. Kiribati Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
  conventional short form: Kiribati
  note: pronounced keer-ree-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 Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President
    Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
    government
  head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
    President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief of state
    and head of government
  cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the
    members of the House of Parliament
  elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential candidates from
    among its members and then those candidates compete in a general
    election; president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
    election last held 4 July 2003 (next to be held not later than July
    2007); vice president appointed by the president
  election results: Anote TONG 47.4%, Harry TONG 43.5%, Banuera BERINA 9.1%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42 seats; 39
  elected by popular vote, 1 ex officio member - the attorney general, 1
  appointed to represent Banaba, and 1 other; members serve four-year terms)
  elections: first round elections last held 29 November 2002; second round
    elections held 6 December 2002 (next to be held by November 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BTK 17,
    MTM 16, independents 7, other 2 (includes attorney general)
  note: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first round on 9
    May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003

Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels
  are appointed by the president

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]
  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

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
  WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate
  in Honolulu

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to Fiji 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

§5. Kiribati Economy

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 about 20% 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $79 million
  note: supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources (2001
    est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  1.5% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $800 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 30%
  industry: 7%
  services: 63% (1998 est.)

Labor force:
  7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  2% official rate; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.5% (2001 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $28.4 million
  expenditures: $37.2 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000
    est.)

Agriculture - products:
  copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish

Industries:
  fishing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
  0.7% (1991 est.)

Electricity - production:
  12 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  11.16 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  200 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $17 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish

Exports - partners:
  France 45.7%, Japan 29.2%, US 9.1%, Thailand 5.4% (2004)

Imports:
  $62 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel

Imports - partners:
  Australia 33.6%, Fiji 29.8%, Japan 10.3%, New Zealand 6.9%, France 4.1%
  (2004)

Debt - external:
  $10 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $15.5 million largely from UK and Japan (2001 est.)

Currency (code):
  Australian dollar (AUD)

Exchange rates:
  Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419
  (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  NA

§6. Kiribati Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  4,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  500 (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: generally good quality national and international
    service
  domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati; 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)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
  note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (not reported to be active) (2002)

Internet country code:
  .ki

Internet hosts:
  36 (2005)

Internet users:
  2,000 (2004)

§7. Kiribati Transportation

Airports:
  19 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 16
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 4 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 670 km (1999)

Waterways:
  5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,749 GRT/3,911 DWT
  by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1
  foreign-owned: 1 (Syria 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Betio

§8. Kiribati Military

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:
  NA

Military - note:
  Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by
  Australia and NZ

§9. Kiribati Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
