Kiribati

Location

• Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
• 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

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Tarawa	40,311	Capital

Size

• 313 square miles
• 811 square kilometers
• four times the size of Washington, D.C.

History

Kiribati is made up of three distinct island groups -- the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The first Austronesian voyagers arrived in the Gilbert Islands as early as 3000 B.C., but these islands were not widely settled until about A.D. 200 by Micronesians. Around 1300, Samoans and Tongans invaded the southern Gilbert Islands, then known as Tungaru, bringing Polynesian cultural elements with them. Later arrivals of Fijians brought Melanesian elements to the Gilbert Islands, and extensive intermarriage between the Micronesian, Polynesian, and Melanesian people led to the creation of what would become Gilbertese cultural traditions by the time Europeans spotted the islands in the 1600s. The Phoenix Islands and Line Islands were both visited by various Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, but their isolation and lack of natural resources meant that long-term settlements were not possible. Both island groups were uninhabited by the time of European contact. Kiribati experienced sustained European contact by the 1760s; all three island groups were named and charted by 1826. American whaling ships frequently passed through the islands, and the UK declared a protectorate over the Gilbert and nearby Ellice Islands in 1892, in an attempt to block growing US influence. Phosphate-rich Banaba Island was annexed to the protectorate in 1900. In 1916, the protectorate became a colony, and some Line Islands were added in 1916 and 1919, with the final ones added in 1972. The Phoenix Islands were added to the colony in 1937, and the UK agreed to share jurisdiction of some with the US because of their strategic location for aviation. During World War II, the islands were occupied by Japanese forces but were ejected by US amphibious assaults. The Ellice Islands became its own colony in 1974 and was renamed Tuvalu for “eight standing together” in 1975. The Gilbert Islands became fully self-governing in 1977 and independent in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati, the Gilbertese spelling of Gilberts. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Islands in a 1979 treaty of friendship.In 2012, Kiribati purchased a 22 sq km (8.5 sq mi) plot of land in Fiji for potential eventual resettlement of its population because of climate change, and in 2014 Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe BAINIMARAMA said residents of Kiribati would be welcome to relocate to Fiji if their country is swamped by rising sea levels.

Climate

tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain

mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Languages

Gilbertese, English (official)

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (pre-independence); latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence)amendment process: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; passage of amendments affecting the constitutional section on amendment procedures and parts of the constitutional chapter on citizenship requires deferral of the proposal to the next Assembly meeting where approval is required by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and support of the nominated or elected Banaban member of the Assembly; amendments affecting the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms also requires approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: English common law supplemented by customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)head of government: President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly memberselection/appointment process: president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms) by simple-majority popular vote, after candidates are nominated from among House of Assembly members; vice president appointed by the presidentmost recent election date: 25 October 2024election results: 2024: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 55%, Kaotitaake KOKORIA (independent) 42%, Bautaake BEIA (TKP) 3%2020: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 59.3%, Banuera BERINA (BKM) 40.7%expected date of next election: 2028note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president)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 PSCsubordinate courts: Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 45 (44 directly elected; 1 appointed)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 8/14/2024 to 8/19/2024percentage of women in chamber: 11.1%expected date of next election: August 2028

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• lower-middle income, Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; sizable remittances; key phosphate mining fund; tourism and fishing industries; public sector-dominated economy; recent withdrawal from Pacific Islands Forum; ongoing constitutional crisis
• Budget: revenues: $260.557 million (2023 est.)expenditures: $264.736 million (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish
• Industries: fishing, handicrafts
• Agricultural Products: coconuts, bananas, vegetables, taro, tropical fruits, pork, chicken, nuts, eggs, pork offal (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 42% (2022 est.)arable land: 2.5% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 39.5% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)forest: 1.5% (2022 est.)other: 56.6% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: ships, centrifuges, refined petroleum, rice, raw sugar (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 24%, Australia 20%, Fiji 15%, Japan 7%, NZ 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: fish, coconut oil (2023)note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
• Export Partners: Thailand 85%, Japan 6%, Philippines 3%, UAE 2%, Fiji 1% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports