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 Match 132   DB Rec# - 7,584  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Kiribati 


Text          : 
                                    Kiribati 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator and 
    the International Date Line, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to 
    Australia 
Map references: 
    Oceania 
Area: 
  total area: 
    717 sq km 
  land area: 
    717 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC 
  note: 
    includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix 
    Islands 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    1,143 km 
Maritime claims: 
  exclusive economic zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    12 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds 
Terrain: 
    mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs 
Natural resources: 
    phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    0% 
  permanent crops: 
    51% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    0% 
  forest and woodland: 
    3% 
  other: 
    46% 
Irrigated land: 
    NA sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    NA 
  natural hazards: 
    typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional 
    tornadoes 
  international agreements: 
    party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer 
    Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change 


Note: 
    20 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 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    79,386 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    NA 
  15-64 years: 
    NA 
  65 years and over: 
    NA 
Population growth rate: 
    1.95% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    31.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    12.31 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    98.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    54.16 years 
  male: 
    52.56 years 
  female: 
    55.78 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    3.73 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    I-Kiribati (singular and plural) 
  adjective: 
    I-Kiribati 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Micronesian 
Religions: 
    Roman Catholic 52.6%, Protestant (Congregational) 40.9%, Seventh-Day 
    Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985) 
Languages: 
    English (official), Gilbertese 
Literacy: 
    NA% 
Labor force: 
    7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.) 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Republic of Kiribati 
  conventional short form: 
    Kiribati 


  former: 
    Gilbert Islands 
Digraph: 
    KR 
Type: 
    republic 
Capital: 
    Tarawa 
Administrative divisions: 
    3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands 
  note: 
    in addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, 
    Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island councils 
    (Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, 
    Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, 
    Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina; note - one council for each 
    of the inhabited islands) 
Independence: 
    12 July 1979 (from UK) 
National holiday: 
    Independence Day, 12 July (1979) 
Constitution: 
    12 July 1979 
Legal system: 
    NA 
Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state and head of government: 
    President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President
 
    (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); election 
    last held on 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA 1999) 
  cabinet: 
    Cabinet; appointed by the president from an elected parliament 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 
  House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu): 
    elections last held on 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA 1999); results - 
    percent of vote by party NA; seats - (40 total; 39 elected) Maneaban Te 
    Mauri 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19 
Judicial branch: 
    Court of Appeal, High Court 
Political parties and leaders: 
    National Progressive Party, Teatao TEANNAKI; Christian Democratic Party, 
    Teburoro TITO; New Movement Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka 
    TENTOA; Maneaba Party, Roniti TEIWAKI; Maneaban Te Mauri, leader NA 
  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 
Member of: 
    ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IMF, 
    INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, 
    UPU, WHO 
 
                                   Government 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    Kiribati has no mission in the US 
US diplomatic representation: 


    the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati 
Flag: 
    the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising
 
    sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to 
    represent the ocean 
 
                                     Economy 
 
Overview: 
    A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national 
    resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time
 
    of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production
 
    and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP 
    declined about 5% in 1987, as the fish catch fell sharply to only one-fourth
 
    the level of 1986 and copra production was hampered by repeated rains. 
    Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP growing by 10%. The upturn 
    in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish
 
    catch. GDP then fell by 2.2% in 1989 and by 2.9% in 1990, but has risen by 
    about 3% annually in 1991-93. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and
 
    Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, amounting to 25%-50% of GDP in 
    recent years. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $62 million (1993 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    2.9% (1993 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $800 (1993 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    6.5% (1993 est.) 
Unemployment rate: 
    2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $29.6 million 
  expenditures: 
    $32.8 million, including capital expenditures of $14 million (1993 est.) 
Exports: 
    $4.2 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) 
  commodities: 
    copra 50%, seaweed 16%, fish 15% 
  partners: 
    Denmark, Fiji, US 
Imports: 
    $33.1 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) 
  commodities: 
    foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel 
  partners: 
    Australia 40%, Japan 18%, Fiji 17%, NZ 6%, US 4% (1991) 
External debt: 
    $2 million (December 1989 est.) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate 0.7% (1992 est.); accounts for less than 4% of GDP 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 


    5,000 kW 
  production: 
    13 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    131 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    fishing, handicrafts 
Agriculture: 
    accounts for 23% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute about
 
    65% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops - taro, 
    breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food 
 
                                     Economy 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), 
    $273 million 
Currency: 
    1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents 
Exchange rates: 
    Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994), 
    1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990) 
Fiscal year: 
    NA 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    640 km 
  paved: 
    NA 
  unpaved: 
    NA 
Inland waterways: 
    small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands 
Ports: 
    Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton 
Merchant marine: 
  total: 
    1 passenger-cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,291 GRT/1,295 DWT 
Airports: 
    21 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    4 
  with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    5 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    11 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    1,400 telephones 
  local: 


    NA 
  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    0 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    Police Force (carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties;
 
    there are small police posts on all islands); no military force is 
    maintained 
Defense expenditures: 
    $NA, NA% of GDP 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996