Kiribati

agricultural land:

42%;

• arable land 2.5%;
• permanent crops 39.5%;
• permanent pasture 0%

forest:

15%

other:

43% (2011 est.)

• 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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• 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:

I-Kiribati

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.83 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.65 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Kiribati

conventional short form:

Kiribati

local long form:

Republic of Kiribati

local short form:

Kiribati

note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss

former:

Gilbert Islands

etymology:

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

name:

Tarawa

geographic coordinates:

1 21 N, 173 02 E

time difference:

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

3 geographical units: Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions but 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)

• The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (preindependence);
• latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence);
• amended several times, last in 2013 (2015)

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 Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003);
• Vice President Teima ONORIO (since 2003);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO (since 2003)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by simple majority popular vote following nomination of candidates from among House of Assembly members;
• term is 4 years (eligible for 2 additional terms);
• election last held on 13 January 2012 (next to be held in 2015);
• vice president appointed by the president

election results:

Anote TONG TONG elected president; percent of vote - Anote TONG (BTK) 42.2%, Tetaua TAITAI (KTK) 35%, Rimeta BENIAMINA (MKP) 22.8%

highest court(s):

High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president); note - the High Court has jurisdiction on constitutional issues

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 Te Koaua Party or BTK [Anote TONG]
• Kamaeuraoan Te I-Kiribati Party or KTK [Tetaua TAITAI]
• Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP [Rimeta BENIAMINA]

note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups because they have no party headquarters,

formal platforms, or party structures

• none;
• the Kiribati Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy;
• it is headed by Makurita BAARO (since 21 May 2014);
• address: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400A, New York, NY 10017;
• telephone: [1](212)867-3310;
• FAX: [1](212)867-3320

note: there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu

• the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the Pacific ocean;
• the white stripes represent the three island groups - the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix Islands;
• the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island);
• the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom

name:

"Teirake kaini Kiribati" (Stand Up, Kiribati)

lyrics/music:

Urium Tamuera IOTEBA

note: adopted 1979

agriculture:

15%

industry:

10%

services:

75% (2010)

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

generally good quality national and international service

domestic:

• wireline service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island);
• connections to outer islands by HF/VHF radiotelephone;
• wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999

international:

• country code - 686;
• Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2010)

• 1 TV broadcast station that provides about 1 hour of local programming Monday-Friday;
• multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations;
• 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM, FM, and shortwave (2009)

males age 16-49:

18,364

females age 16-49:

20,302 (2010 est.)

male:

1,132

female:

1,120 (2010 est.)