Kiribati

agricultural land:

42%;

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

forest:

15%

other:

43% (2011 est.)

• consists of three achipelagos 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

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

• consists of three achipelagos 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

15-24 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.82 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.65 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2016 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 are 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 1995, 2013 (2016)

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);
• Vice President Kourabi NENEM (since 17 March 2016);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); Vice President Kourabi NENEM (since 17 March 2016)

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 9 March 2016 (next to be held in 2020);
• vice president appointed by the president

election results:

Taneti MAAMAU elected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU 60%, Rimeta BENIAMINA (BTK) 38.6%, Taneti IOANE (BTK) 1.4%

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: 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;
• recently formed Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Kiribati Limited is implementing the first phase of improvements with 3G and 4G upgrades on some islands

international:

country code - 686; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2016)

• 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)