Kiribati
Republic of Kiribati
Capital: Tarawa
History
The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
Geography
Metric Units
| Total Area | 811 sq km |
| Land Boundaries | 0 km |
| Border Countries | No data |
| Coastline | 1,143 km |
| Terrain | mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs |
| Minimum Elevation | 0 m |
| Maximum Elevation | 81 m |
| Climate | tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds |
| Natural Resources | phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) |
| Arable Land | 2.47% |
| Permanent Crops | 39.51% |
Economy
| Gross Domestic Product | $624 million |
| GDP (per capita) | $5,900 |
| GDP Growth | 2.5% |
| Unemployment Rate | 2% |
| Population in Poverty | No data% |
| GINI Index | No data |
Budget & Debt
| Expenditures | $107.1 million |
| Revenue | $55.52 million |
| Current Account Balance | $-35.01 million |
| External Debt | $10 million |
Trade
| Exports | $7.07 million |
| Export Items | copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish |
| Export Partners | No data |
| Imports | $80.09 million |
| Import Items | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel |
| Import Partners | No data |
People
| Population | 103,248 |
| Population Growth | 1.21% |
| Ethnic Groups | Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2% (2000 census) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic 55%, Protestant 36%, Mormon 3.1%, Baha'i 2.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.9%, other 1.8% (2005 census) |
| Life Expectancy | 65.11 years |
| Infant Mortality | 0.96 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality | 1.9 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
| Electricity Production | 21 million kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 19.53 million kWh |
| From Fossil Fuels | 100% |
| From Nuclear | 0% |
| From Hydroelectric | 0% |
| From Renewable Sources | 0% |
