Airports [time series]

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

Civil air [time series]

2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

640 km of motorable roads

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

1,400 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

no military force maintained; the Police Force carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; there are small police posts on all islands

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues $29.9 million; expenditures $16.3 million, including capital expenditures of $14.0 million (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $258 million

Electricity [time series]

5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$5.8 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--fish 55%, copra 42%; partners--EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2.0 million (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

NA

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$36.8 million, per capita $525; real growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$26.7 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.); commodities--foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment; partners--Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 0.0% (1988 est.); accounts for less than 4% of GDP

Industries [time series]

fishing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.0% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The country 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 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 17%. 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, GNP increased 1% in 1989 and again in 1990.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2% (1985); considerable underemployment

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,143 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Area (Total area) [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Tarawa

Constitution [time series]

12 July 1979

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal, High Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ieremia TABAI (since 12 July 1979); Vice President Teatao TEANNAKI (since 20 July 1979) Gilbertese National Party; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO, secretary; essentially not organized on the basis of political parties

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Kiribati; note--pronounced Kiribas

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP (associate), IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held on 12 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991); results--Ieremia TABAI 50.1%, Tebruroro TITO 42.7%, Tetao TEANNAKI 7.2%; House of Assembly--last held on 19 March l987 (next to be held May 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Birth rate [time series]

33 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Micronesian

Infant mortality rate [time series]

63 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

7,870 economically active (1985 est.)

Languages (Language) [time series]

English (official), Gilbertese

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

52 years male, 58 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality [time series]

noun--I-Kiribati (sing., pl.); adjective--I-Kiribati

Net migration rate [time series]

- 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

Kiribati Trades Union Congress--2,500 members

Population [time series]

71,137 (July 1991), growth rate 1.6% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Roman Catholic 52.6%, Protestant (Congregational) 40.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.2 children born/woman (1991)