Kiribati Geography Location: Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; noteÑon 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E Map references: Oceania Area: total: 717 sq km land: 717 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes three island groupsÑGilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands AreaÑcomparative: four times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 1,143 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 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: NA% permanent crops: 51% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: 3% other: 46% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: NA sq km Natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes EnvironmentÑcurrent 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 EnvironmentÑinternational agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements GeographyÑnote: 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific OceanÑthe others are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru People Population: 83,976 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA Population growth rate: 1.82% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 26.46 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 7.62 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: -0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 49.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 62.61 years male: 60.79 years female: 64.68 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.13 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural) adjective: I-Kiribati Ethnic groups: Micronesian Religions: Roman Catholic 53%, Protestant (Congregational) 41%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985 est.) Languages: English (official), Gilbertese Literacy: NA Government Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati conventional short form: Kiribati note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss former: Gilbert Islands Data code: KR Government type: republic National 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 councilsÑone 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 (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); noteÑthe president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); noteÑthe president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Assembly, includes the president, vice president, attorney general, and up to eight other ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; noteÑthe House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates from among their members and then those candidates compete in a general election; election last held 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA September 1998); vice president appointed by the president election results: Teburoro TITO elected president; percent of voteÑTeburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA 18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%, Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5% Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (41 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member, and one nominated to represent Banaba; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998) election results: percent of vote by partyÑNA; seats by partyÑManeaban Te Mauri Party 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19 Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges at all levels are appointed by the president; High Court, judges at all levels are appointed by the president; 26 Magistrates' courts judges at all levels are appointed by the president Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party, Teatao TEANNAKI; New Movement Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka TENTOA; Maneaban Te Mauri Party, Teburoro TITO 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 International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant) 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 the Marshall Islands 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 Economy EconomyÑoverview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national 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. Real GDP growth has declined from about 10% in 1988 to about 2.6% in 1995 and 1.9% in 1996. Growth in 1997 was expected to parallel the 1996 performance. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. The financial sector is at an early stage of development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal in amount to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year. GDP: purchasing power parityÑ$62 million (1996 est.) GDPÑreal growth rate: 1.9% (1996 est.) GDPÑper capita: purchasing power parityÑ$800 (1996 est.) GDPÑcomposition by sector: agriculture: 14% industry: 7% services: 79% (1996 est.) Inflation rateÑconsumer price index: -0.6% (1996 est.) Labor force: total: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.) Unemployment rate: 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) Budget: revenues: $33.3 million expenditures: $47.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1996 est.) Industries: fishing, handicrafts Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1992 est.) ElectricityÑcapacity: 2,000 kW (1995) ElectricityÑproduction: 7 million kWh (1995) ElectricityÑconsumption per capita: 88 kWh (1995) AgricultureÑproducts: copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish Exports: total value: $6.7 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: copra 62%, seaweed, fish partners: US, Australia, NZ (1996) Imports: total value: $37.4 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel partners: Australia 46%, Fiji, Japan, NZ, US (1996) DebtÑexternal: $7.2 million (1996 est.) Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $4.725 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $2.175 million from NZ (FY95/96) Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1Ñ1.5281 (January 1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993) Fiscal year: NA Communications Telephones: 1,400 (1984 est.) Telephone system: domestic: NA international: satellite earth stationÑ1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 Radios: 15,000 (1992 est.) Television broadcast stations: 0 (1988 est.) Televisions: 0 (1988 est.) Transportation Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 670 km (1996 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km Waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands Ports and harbors: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,248 GRT/4,496 DWT ships by type: oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.) Airports: 21 (1997 est.) AirportsÑwith paved runways: total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (1997 est.) AirportsÑwith unpaved runways: total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.) 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 expendituresÑdollar figure: $NA Military expendituresÑpercent of GDP: NA% Transnational Issues DisputesÑinternational: none