Kiribati

• Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator;
• the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

• consists of three archipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India;
• the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

• typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
• occasional tornadoes;
• low level of some of the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level

• 21 of the 33 islands are inhabited;
• Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean -- the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru;
• Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western)

noun:

I-Kiribati (singular and plural)

adjective:

Kiribati

total:

27.7 years (2025 est.)

male:

26.4 years

female:

28.2 years

• consists of three archipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India;
• the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.63 male(s)/female

total population:

0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

30.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

33.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

29.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

68.5 years (2024 est.)

male:

65.9 years

female:

71.3 years

total:

0.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

35.4% (2025 est.)

male:

48.4% (2025 est.)

female:

23.6% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

2.4% (2019)

women married by age 18:

18.4% (2019)

men married by age 18:

8.6% (2019)

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

urban population:

57.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

35,700 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

15.4% (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Kiribati

conventional short form:

Kiribati

local long form:

Republic of Kiribati

local short form:

Kiribati

former:

Gilbert Islands

etymology:

• the name is the local pronunciation of "Gilbert," the former designation of the islands;
• originally named after explorer Thomas GILBERT, who mapped many of the islands in 1788

note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss

• 3 geographical units:
  • Gilbert Islands,
  • Line Islands,
  • Phoenix Islands
  ;
• there are no first-order administrative divisions, but the 6 districts are Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa, with 21 island councils on Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina

history:

• The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (pre-independence);
• latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence)

amendment process:

• proposed by the House of Assembly;
• passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership;
• passage of amendments affecting the constitutional section on amendment procedures and parts of the constitutional chapter on citizenship requires deferral of the proposal to the next Assembly meeting where approval is required by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and support of the nominated or elected Banaban member of the Assembly;
• amendments affecting the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms also requires approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Kiribati

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

7 years

chief of state:

President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)

head of government:

President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms) by simple-majority popular vote, after candidates are nominated from among House of Assembly members;
• vice president appointed by the president

most recent election date:

25 October 2024

election results:

2024: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 55%, Kaotitaake KOKORIA (independent) 42%, Bautaake BEIA (TKP) 3%; 2020: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 59.3%, Banuera BERINA (BKM) 40.7%

expected date of next election:

2028

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name:

House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

45 (44 directly elected; 1 appointed)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

8/14/2024 to 8/19/2024

percentage of women in chamber:

11.1%

expected date of next election:

August 2028

highest court(s):

High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president)

judge selection and term of office:

• chief justice appointed by the president on the advice of the cabinet in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC);
• other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice along with the PSC

subordinate courts:

Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts

• Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party or BKM
• Kiribati Moa Party or KMP
• Kamanoan Kiribati Party or KKP
• Tobwaan Kiribati Party or TKP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Teburoro TITO (since 24 January 2018); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

chancery:

685 Third Avenue, Suite 1109, New York, NY 10017

telephone:

[1] (212) 867-3310

FAX:

[1] (212) 867-3320

email address and website:

[email protected]

chief of mission:

• Ambassador Marie DAMOUR (since 6 December 2022);
• note - Ambassador DAMOUR is based in the US Embassy in the Republic of Fiji and is accredited to Kiribati as well as Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu

Note : the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati but has announced its intention to open an embassy

description:

the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three wavy horizontal white stripes to represent the Pacific Ocean

meaning:

• the white stripes represent the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix island groups;
• the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island);
• the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom

title:

"Teirake kaini Kiribati" (Stand Up, Kiribati)

lyrics/music:

Urium Tamuera IOTEBA

history:

adopted 1979

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Phoenix Islands Protected Area

• lower-middle income, Pacific island economy;
• environmentally fragile;
• sizable remittances;
• key phosphate mining fund;
• tourism and fishing industries;
• public sector-dominated economy;
• recent withdrawal from Pacific Islands Forum;
• ongoing constitutional crisis

agriculture:

27.8% (2022 est.)

industry:

9.9% (2022 est.)

services:

65.7% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%:

4% (2019 est.)

highest 10%:

22.8% (2019 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

total subscriptions:

0 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2023 est.) less than 1

total:

0 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2023 est.) less than 1

total ports:

3 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

0

very small:

3

ports with oil terminals:

0

key ports:

Canton Island, English Harbor, Tarawa Atoll

• Australia, NZ, and the US have provided security assistance;
• Kiribati has a "ship rider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Kiribati's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas;
• ship rider agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)