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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

15,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

1,400 (1984 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

0 (1988 est.)

Televisions [time series]

0 (1988 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

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.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 5,000 kW production: 13 million kWh consumption per capita: 131 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3477 (January 1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991)

Exports [time series]

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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2 million (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

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

purchasing power parity - $68 million (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]

$860 (1995 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]

2.6% (1995 est.)

Imports [time series]

$38.6 million (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel partners: Australia 40%, Japan 18%, Fiji 17%, NZ 6%, US 4% (1991)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

0.7% (1992 est.)

Industries [time series]

fishing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5.5% (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Unemployment rate [time series]

2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 717 sq km land area: 717 sq km comparative area: four times the size of Washington, DC note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,143 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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 natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

Geographic coordinates [time series]

1 25 N, 173 00 E

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

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 [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Terrain [time series]

mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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)

Capital [time series]

Tarawa

Constitution [time series]

12 July 1979

Data code [time series]

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

Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state and head of government: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994) was elected by popular vote; 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 1999); results - Teburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA 18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%, Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5%; Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994) was appointed by the president cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Assembly

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

Legislative branch (House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)) [time series]

elections last held 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

Independence [time series]

12 July 1979 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

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 [time series]

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati

People

Age structure [time series]

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

Birth rate [time series]

27.13 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Micronesian

Infant mortality rate [time series]

52.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Gilbertese

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 62.02 years male: 60.25 years female: 64.03 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

80,919 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.89% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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 all ages: NA male(s)/female

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.21 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 20 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4 with paved runways under 914 m: 5 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 11 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 640 km (1987 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Merchant marine [time series]

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 (1995 est.)

Ports [time series]

Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

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