The Republic of Kiribati is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The country's 33 atolls are scattered over 3,500,000 km² near the equator. Its name is pronounced /kiribas/ and is a Micronesian transliteration of "Gilberts", the English name for the main group of islands: the former Gilbert Islands.
motto: of the Gilbert & Ellice :'Maaka te Atua, karinea te uea; mataku i te Atua, fakamamalu ki te tupu (Gilbertese and Tuvalu: fear the God, respect the king, the Kiribati motto is now: Te Mauri, Te Raoi ao Te Tabomoa (Health, peace and prosperity)
In 1978, the Ellice Islands became the independent nation of Tuvalu, followed by Kiribati independence in 1979, July 12th. With independence, the United States relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and all but 3 of the Line islands, which became part of Kiribati territory.
The parliament of Kiribati, called Maneaba ni Maungatabu is elected every four years, and consists of 42 representatives.
The president is both head of state and head of government, and is called te Beretitenti.
Each of the 21 inhabited islands has a local council that takes care of the daily affairs. (3 councils on Tarawa: Betio, South-Tarawa, North-Tarawa).
There are no more districts, but a group that unites the Line and the Phoenix islands (ministry at London, Christmas). Each inhabited island has its own council (3 councils on Tarawa: Betio, South-Tarawa, North-Tarawa; 2 councils on Tabiteuea).
Kiribati was divided into 6 districts until independence:
Four of the former districts (including Tarawa) lie in the Gilbert Islands, where most of the islands population lives. Only three of the Line Islands are inhabited, while the Phoenix Islands are uninhabited but Kanton and Orona (80 people) and have no representation. Banaba itself is sparsely inhabited now. There is also a representative non-elected of the Banabans relocated to Rabi Island in the nation of Fiji.
Phoenix Islands: 8 atolls and coral islands located some 1800 km southeast of the Gilberts
Line Islands: 9 atoll and islands, located about 3300 km east of the Gilberts.
Three additional islands in the Line Islands are United States possessions.
Banaba is a raised-coral island that was once a rich source of phosphates, but is now mostly mined out. The rest of the land in Kiribati consists of the sand and reef rock islets of atolls or coral islands that rise but a few meters above sea level. The soil is thin and calcareous, making agriculture very difficult.
Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in the Line Islands is the world's largest atoll.
Kiribati has few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence.
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.
Foreign financial aid, largely from the United Kingdom and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years.
Main article: Demographics of Kiribati
The name of the people is Gilbertese (or I-Kiribati, in gilbertese).
While English is the constitution's and laws' language, kiribati or Gilbertese,
the native Micronesian language, is widely spoken. Christianity is the major religion in the country, although mixed with many practices of the indigenous beliefs. Some Baha'i.
Two international airports (Tarawa and Christmas). The main port is Betio (Tarawa).
Phones only on Tarawa and Christmas (elsewhere : radio phone). 2 newspapers (one private).
2 small airplanes connect the Gilbert Islands but Banaba. One merchant ship connect, from time to time, the Line (Christmas, Fanning and Washington) and made stops enroute at the Phoenix.
Kiribati has only one Embassy abroad (the High Commission in Suva, Fiji) and a few Hon. Consulates (Honolulu, Sydney, Hamburg). There are Embassies or High Commissions of Australia, UK, Taiwan (formerly PR of China, until 2003).
