IKiribati

Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is a sovereign island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. It consists of 33 atolls and reef islands and Banaba Island, spread across three major groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands. It covers about 811 square kilometers of land in total but claims a vast exclusive economic zone of about 3.5 million square kilometers. Its capital and largest city is South Tarawa, on Tarawa Atoll. The population is around 120,000, primarily of Gilbertese descent. The official languages are English and Gilbertese (I-Kiribati).

Kiribati gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 12, 1979, and is a republic with a president as both head of state and government. It has a unicameral Parliament, the Maneaba ni Maungatabu, which elects the president. The country is culturally diverse within a small land area; Christianity is the predominant religion (Catholic and Protestant). The Gilbert Islands host most inhabitants, while the Phoenix and Line Islands are more sparsely populated.

Kiribati lies across three time zones (UTC+12, UTC+13, UTC+14) after the 1995 move of the international date line to keep all Kiribati on the same day. The islands are low-lying coral atolls and reef islands; the highest point is about 81 meters. The economy relies on fishing licenses, aid, and remittances; the Australian dollar is the currency. The name Kiribati is derived from the local Gilbertese form of “Gilberts,” referring to the Gilbert Islands that form the core of the nation. The country faces climate-change impacts such as sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion.