Internet country code [time series]

.ki

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

42 (2006)

Internet users [time series]

2,000 (2004)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: generally good quality national and international service domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999 international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

4,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

600 (2004)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (not reported to be active) (2002)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $55.52 million expenditures: $59.71 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY05)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

Australian dollar (AUD)

Current account balance [time series]

$-19.87 million

Debt - external [time series]

$10 million (1999 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$16.7 million largely from UK and Japan (2004)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more than one-fifth of GDP. The financial sector is at an early stage of development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives. Foreign financial aid from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and China equals about 20% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from an Australian trust fund.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

11.16 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production [time series]

12 million kWh (2003)

Exchange rates [time series]

Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)

Exports [time series]

$17 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish

Exports - partners [time series]

US 22.8%, Belgium 21.5%, Japan 14.3%, Samoa 7.8%, Australia 7.5%, Malaysia 6.7%, Taiwan 5.6%, Denmark 4.6% (2005)

Fiscal year [time series]

NA

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$76.4 million

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

$142.9 million note: supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources (2004 est.)

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

agriculture: 8.9% industry: 24.2% services: 66.8% (1998 est.)

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

$1,900 (2004 est.)

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

0.3% (2005)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$62 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel

Imports - partners [time series]

Australia 33%, Fiji 27.1%, Japan 18.1%, NZ 6.9% (2005)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

0.7% (1991 est.)

Industries [time series]

fishing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force [time series]

7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

2.70213%, 32%, 65.3%

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

200 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports [time series]

NA bbl/day

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

2% official rate; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)

Area [time series]

total: 811 sq km land: 811 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands

Area - comparative [time series]

four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,143 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

1 25 N, 173 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

21 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 [time series]

NA

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 2.74% permanent crops: 47.95% other: 49.31% (2005)

Location [time series]

Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group (GMT +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the International Date Line

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level

Natural resources [time series]

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Terrain [time series]

mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

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 - 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)

Capital [time series]

name: Tarawa geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

12 July 1979

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati conventional short form: Kiribati local long form: Republic of Kiribati local short form: Kiribati note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss former: Gilbert Islands

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Parliament elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential candidates from among its members and then those candidates compete in a general election; president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held 4 July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2007); vice president appointed by the president election results: Anote TONG 47.4%, Harry TONG 43.5%, Banuera BERINA 9.1%

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

12 July 1979 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president

Legal system [time series]

NA

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, 1 ex officio member - the attorney general, 1 appointed to represent Banaba, and 1 other; members serve four-year terms) elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first round on 9 May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003 (next to be held by November 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BTK 17, MTM 16, independents 7, other 2 (includes attorney general)

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

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

Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP; National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry TONG] 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

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

NA

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

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.

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 21,938 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 18-49: 14,231 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]

males age 18-49: 1,128 (2005 est.)

Military - note [time series]

Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ

Military and security forces (Military 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 (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

NA

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 38.6% (male 20,608/female 20,060) 15-64 years: 58.1% (male 30,216/female 31,004) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 1,517/female 2,027) (2006 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

30.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2% (2000 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

NA

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 47.27 deaths/1,000 live births male: 52.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Languages [time series]

I-Kiribati, English (official)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 62.08 years male: 59.06 years female: 65.24 years (2006 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Median age [time series]

total: 20.2 years male: 19.8 years female: 20.8 years (2006 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Population [time series]

105,432 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.24% (2006 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, Church of God (1999)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Airports [time series]

19 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,749 GRT/3,911 DWT by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2006)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

Betio

Roadways [time series]

total: 670 km (1999)

Waterways [time series]

5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2003)