Kiribati

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

15,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: NA international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service

Telephones

1,400 (1984 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1988 est.)

Televisions

0 (1988 est.)

Agriculture - products

copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish

Budget

revenues: $32.5 million expenditures: $54.3 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Currency

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$2 million (December 1989 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $4.725 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $2.175 million from NZ (FY95/96)

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 growth has declined from about 10% in 1988 to about 2.6% in 1995. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. The financial sector is at an early stage of development. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal in amount to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances from overseas I-Kiribati account for more than $5 million each year.

Electricity - capacity

5,000 kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

NA kWh

Electricity - production

10 million kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.2835 (January 1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992)

Exports

total value: $6.3 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: copra 50%, seaweed 16%, fish 15% partners: Denmark, Fiji, US

Fiscal year

NA

GDP

purchasing power parity - $62 million (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 11% industry: 4% services: 85% (1994)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.6% (1995 est.)

Imports

total value : $38.6 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel partners: Australia 40%, Japan 13%, Fiji 10%, NZ 6%, US 4% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

0.7% (1992 est.)

Industries

fishing, handicrafts

Inflation rate - consumer price index

5.1% (1994 est.)

Labor force

total: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.)

Unemployment rate

2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Area

total: 717 sq km land: 717 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands

Area - comparative

four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

1,143 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m

Environment - current issues

heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to heavy migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk

Environment - international agreements

party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

1 25 N, 173 00 E

Geography - 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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: NA% permanent crops : 51% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: 3% other: 46% (1993 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes

Natural resources

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Terrain

mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

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 - 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

Constitution

12 July 1979

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati conventional short form: Kiribati note : pronounced kiribas former: Gilbert Islands

Data code

KR

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati; Honolulu is a honorary consul

Diplomatic representation in the US

Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch

chief of state: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; note - the House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates from among their members and then those candidates compete in a general election; election last held 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA September 1998); vice president appointed by the president election results: Teburoro TITO elected president; percent of vote - Teburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA 18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%, Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5%

Flag description

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

Government type

republic

Independence

12 July 1979 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal, judges at all levels are appointed by the president; High Court, judges at all levels are appointed by the president

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (41 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member, and one nominated to represent Banaba; members serve four-year terms) elections : last held 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Maneaban Te Mauri 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19

National capital

Tarawa

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Political parties and leaders

National Progressive Party, Teatao TEANNAKI; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO; New Movement Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka TENTOA; Maneaban Te Mauri Party, Roniti TEIWAKI 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts are on all islands)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : NA

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: NA

Age structure

0-14 years: NA 15-64 years : NA 65 years and over: NA

Birth rate

26.79 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

7.71 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

Micronesian

Infant mortality rate

51.15 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English (official), Gilbertese

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 62.35 years male: 60.56 years female : 64.37 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

NA

Nationality

noun : I-Kiribati (singular and plural) adjective: I-Kiribati

Net migration rate

-0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

82,449 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.85% (1997 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 53%, Protestant (Congregational) 41%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: NA male(s)/female under 15 years : NA male(s)/female 15-64 years: NA male(s)/female 65 years and over: NA male(s)/female total population: NA male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

3.17 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none KOREA, NORTH

Airports

20 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 11 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 655 km (1995 est.) paved : NA km unpaved: NA km

Merchant marine

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,248 GRT/4,496 DWT ships by type : oil tanker 1, short-sea passenger 1 (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton

Railways

0 km

Waterways

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