About Kiribati

The Republic of Kiribati (pronounced KIRR-i-bas) is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The country consists of 32 atolls and one raised coral island dispersed over 3,500,000 square kilometres (1,351,000 square miles), straddling the equator, and bordering the International Date Line to the east.

The name Kiribati is the local pronunciation of “Gilberts”, derived from the main island chain, the Gilbert Islands. Kiribati has three island groups – Gilbert Islands, Line Islands and Phoenix Islands – with a total land area of 811 sq km. The terrain is mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs, with a total coastal area of 1,143 km. The capital, Tarawa, is about half way between Hawaii and Australia.

Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999. 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 and Line island groups were on the other side of the International Date Line.

Climate

Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds.

Demographics

The estimated population of the Republic of Kiribati in 2009 was 112,850, with 21 of the 33 islands inhabited.