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Kiribati
Background :
The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. 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.
Location :
Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about half way between Hawaii and Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory was in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group (UTC +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction were on the other side of the International Date Line
Geographic Coordinates Center :
1 25 N, 173 00 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 172.96 |
| North | 1.95 |
| East | -151.80 |
| South | -11.44 |
Map references :
Oceania
Area :
| total | 811 | square km |
| land | 811 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Coastline :
1143.00 km
Climate :
tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain :
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 81 | metres |
Natural resources :
| phosphates |
Land use :
| arable land | 2.74 | % |
| permanent crops | 47.95 | % |
| other | 49.31 | % |
Natural hazards :
| typhoons |
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
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Hazardous Wastes | Law of the Sea |
| Marine Dumping | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Whaling |
Population :
112 850
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 2.23 | % |
| Birth rate | 30.20 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 4.04 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 7.85 | deaths/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 37.60 | % |
| 15-64 years | 59.00 | % |
| 65 years and over | 3.50 | % |
Median age :
| total | 20.80 | years |
| male | 20.30 | years |
| female | 21.30 | years |
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 | 0.74 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.99 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 43.48 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 63.22 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 60.14 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 66.45 | years |
Religions :
| Roman Catholic | 52.00 | % |
| Protestant | 40.00 | % |
| other | 8.00 | % |
Languages :
| I-Kiribati | |
| English |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Republic of Kiribati |
| conventional short form | Kiribati |
| local long form | Republic of Kiribati |
| local short form | Kiribati |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | KI |
| ISO Numeric | 296 |
| ISO3 | KIR |
| FIPS | KR |
| ccTLD | ki |
| English | Kiribati |
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)
Capital :
| name | Tarawa |
| geographic coordinates | 1 19 N, 172 58 E |
| time difference | 12.00 |
International organization participation :
| ACP | ADB |
| AOSIS | C |
| FAO | IBRD |
| ICAO | ICRM |
| IDA | IFAD |
| IFC | IFRCS |
| ILO | IMF |
| IMO | IOC |
| ITU | ITUC |
| OPCW | PIF |
| SPC | Sparteca |
| UN | UNCTAD |
| UNESCO | UPU |
| WHO | WMO |
Independence :
1979-07-12
National holiday :
Independence Day
1979-07-12
Executive branch :
| President Anote TONG |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 596 600 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 114 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | 1.50 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 5 300 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 8.90 | % |
| industry | 24.20 | % |
| services | 66.80 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 2.70 | % |
| industry | 32.00 | % |
| services | 65.30 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 7 870 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 2.00 | % |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0.20 | % |
| Current account balance | - 21 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 10 000 000 | $ |
Budget :
| revenues | 55 520 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 59 710 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| breadfruit | copra |
| fish | sweet potatoes |
| taro | vegetables |
Industries :
| fishing | handicrafts |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 14 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 13 020 000 | kWh |
| Oil Imports | 260 | bbl/day |
Value :
62 000 000 $
Commodities :
| foodstuffs | fuels |
| machinery and equipment | miscellaneous manufactured products |
Currency-code :
AUD
Currency-name :
Australian dollar
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 4 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 1 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 2 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | ki | |
| Internet Hosts | 41 | |
| Internet Users | 2 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 4 | |
| Roadways - total | 670 | km |
| Waterways | 5 | km |
Flag
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