1989 Edition

Climate

tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds

tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Coastline

3 km

1,143 km

Comparative area

about 1 .7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Contiguous zone

1 2 nm

Continental shelf

200 m

Environment

barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; wet or awash most of the time

typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited

Ethnic divisions

Micronesian

Exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Labor force

7,870 economically active (1985 est.) Organized labor Kiribati Trades Union Congress — 2,500 members

Land boundaries

none

none

Land use

0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other

NEGL% arable land; 51% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 46% other

Language

English (official), Gilbertese

Literacy

90%

Natural resources

none

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Note

located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa; maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes this a navigational hazard; closed to the public

Banaba or Ocean Island is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (the others are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru)

Religion

48% Roman Catholic, 45% Protestant (Congregational), some SeventhDay Adventist and Baha'i

Terrain

low and nearly level with a maximum elevation of about 1 meter

mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Territorial sea

1 2 nm

1 2 nm

Total area

1 km2; land area: 1 km2

717 km2; land area: 717 km2; includes three island groups — Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands

Birth rate

34 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

13 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate

65 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth

52 years male, 57 years female (1990)

Nationality

noun — Kiribatian(s); adjective— Kiribati

Net migration rate

— 5 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)

Population

uninhabited

70,012 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)

Total fertility rate

4.3 children born/ woman (1990)

Administrative divisions

3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note — a new administrative structure of 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) may have been changed to 20 island councils (one for each of the inhabited islands) named Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina

Capital

Tarawa

Constitution

12 July 1979

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador (vacant) lives in Tarawa (Kiribati); US — none

Elections

President — last held on 12 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991); results — leremia T. Tabai 50.1%, Tebruroro Tito 42.7%, Tetao Tannaki 7.2%; National Assembly — last held on 1 9 March 1987 (next to be held March 1991); results — percent of vote by party NA; seats— (40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA

Executive branch

president, vice president, Cabinet

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

Independence

12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, High Court

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government— President leremia T. TABAI (since 12 July 1979); Vice President Teatao TEANNAKI (since 20 July 1979) Political parties and leaders: Gilbertese National Party; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro Tito, secretary; essentially not organized on basis of political parties

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)

Long-form name

none

Republic of Kiribati

Member of

ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de facto), ICAO, IMF, SPF, WHO

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Navy

republic

Agriculture

accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute 95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops — taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (197087), $245 million

Budget

revenues $22.0 million; expenditures $12.7 million, including capital expenditures of $9.7 million (1988)

Currency

Australian dollar (plural — dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Electricity

5,000 kW capacity; 1 3 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1— 1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752(1988), 1.4267(1987), 1.4905(1986), 1.4269(1985) Fiscal yean NA

Exports

$5.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— fish 55%, copra 42%; partners— EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)

External debt

$2.0 million (December 1987 est.)

GDP

$34 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 0%(1989)

Imports

$21.5 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities— foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment; partners — Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

fishing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.1% (1988)

Overview

no economic activity

The country has few national resources. 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 8% 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 1 7%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish catch. Following the strong surge in output in 1988, GDP remained about the same in 1989.

Unemployment rate

2% (1985); considerable underemployment

Airports

22 total; 21 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

Branches

NA Military manpower NA

Civil air

2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

NA

Highways

640 km of motorable roads

Inland waterways

small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands

Ports

Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)

Telecommunications

1,400 telephones; stations — 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense Forces