Kiribati

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia Kiribati at a glance Did you know? In January 1995, Kiribati moved the International Date Line 3000 kilometres east so that the whole country was in the same time zone. Region Pacific Population 110,356 (July 2008 est.) Land Geography: Low-lying coral atolls Climate: Tropical, maritime People Religion: Christian Language: I-Kiribati, English Economy GDP per person (PPP): $1,000 (2004 est.) GDP by sector: agriculture ( 8.9%) industry ( 24.2%) and services ( 66.8%) (2004) Government Republic Land Physical geography Kiribati (pronounced 'Kirabas') is made up of 33 coral atolls with a total landmass of 811 square kilometres (less than the area of Hobart : 1,357.3 square kilometres). The atolls are scattered over 3.5 million square kilometres across both sides of the equator and previously the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean . Kiribati consists of three archipelagos of low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs: 17 Gilbert Islands (including Banaba), eight Phoenix Islands and eight Line Islands . Kiritimati (formerly Christmas Island ) is the world's biggest coral atoll (388 square kilometres ). Banaba ( Ocean Island ), with the highest point of 81 metres, is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean – the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru . Climate The climate varies from maritime equatorial (central islands) to tropical in the north and south. There is little temperature variation with an average of 28°C and humidity at 70-90%. North-west trade winds blow between March and October. From November to April, there are occasional heavy rains, and strong-to-gale-force winds, though Kiribati is outside the cyclone belt. Rainfall patterns vary considerably from year to year and drought is a constant danger. Environment Kiribati is made up of mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs. Rises in sea-level from severe storms, and climate change can cause extensive flooding and erosion and contamination of soil by salt. There are many varieties of sea birds, including terns, shearwaters and skuas. The lagoon of south Tarawa atoll suffers from heavy pollution mainly due to heavy migration, lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping and the closing off of the flushing ocean currents. Pit latrines in areas of high water tables have contaminated groundwater. People Twenty-one of the 33 islands of Kiribati are inhabited . Most of the population lives in the Gilbert Island group. T hree of the Line Islands and Kanton in the Phoenix Islands are the only other islands which are inhabited. Since phosphate mining ceased on Banaba, it is only sparsely inhabited. About 36% of this population of live in urban areas. The largest city is the capital, Tarawa, (28,350) followed by Bairiki (2,266). People Culture and identity The indigenous inhabitants of Kiribati are Micronesian. Intermarriage with Melanesians from Fiji and Polynesians from Tonga has led to a mixed society with most people looking alike and following a similar culture. Kiribati folk music is generally based around chanting accompanied by body percussion or a wooden box. Dances often feature outstretched arms and sudden birdlike movements of the head. Health The average life expectancy in Kiribati is 61 years of age, with 64 being the average female life expectancy and 58 being the average male life expectancy. The infant mortality is around 46.02 deaths to every 1,000 live births. Around 64% of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 39% adequate sanitation facilities (2002). Tuberculosis is a serious public health problem, and there are regular outbreaks of dengue fever and occasional cases of leprosy and typhoid. Religion and beliefs The population of Kiribati is largely Christian with Roman Catholics making up 52% and Protestant 40%. Food and shelter Fish and taro cooked in coconut cream, is the staple diet in Kiribati . Coconut, banana, papaya, pandanus and breadfruit are the main fruits. Infertile soils limit food production. The people of Kiribati mostly live in villages with populations between 50 and 3,000 on the outer islands. Most houses are made of materials obtained from coconut and pandanus trees – the trunks used for structure, coconut fibre for binding and palm leaves for thatch. Today, new buildings are often a combination of traditional and contemporary architecture. Economy Wealth and poverty Careful management of the trust fund based on phosphate mining (which ceased in 1979) has helped cushion the impact of the loss of this major source of income. Kiribati is now heavily dependent on aid from United Kingdom , Japan , Australia , New Zealand , and China , income from fishing licences and remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad. Education and work Schooling is compulsory for children between the ages of six and 14. Most children receive a primary education, but post-primary facilities are limited, and only about 15% of students attend secondary school. A branch of the University of the South Pacific (based in Fiji ) is located on South Tarawa, and some students also study in New Zealand and Australia . About 90% of the population of Kiribati can read and write. Most islanders make a living by fishing, growing their own food, and raising small livestock. In the year 2000, 2.7% of the population were employed in agriculture, 32% in industry and 65.3% in services. Industries and products Kiribati has few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra (the dried ‘meat' of the coconut which can be used to make oil) and fish now represent the bulk of production, industry and exports. Agricultural products include copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, and vegetables. Industries include fishing and handicrafts. Trade Exports include copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, and fish. Export partners are the United States (22.8%), Belgium (21.5%), Japan (14.3%), Samoa (7.8%), and Australia (7.5%) (2006). Imports include foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, and fuel. Major import partners are Australia 33%, Fiji 27.1%, Japan 18.1%, NZ 6.9% (2006). Achievements and challenges Economic development in Kiribati is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure and remoteness from international markets. In 2006, Kiribati created the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, banning all commercial fishing. It covers 184,000 square kilometres and includes eight coral atolls. The most significant environmental issues are limited natural freshwater resources and heavy pollution of the south Tarawa lagoon, due to population growth around the lagoon and traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping. The United Nation's 1989 report on the ‘greenhouse effect' listed Kiribati as an endangered country in the event of a rise in sea level. Links with Australia Australia and Kiribati enjoy close and longstanding relations. Australia is the major supplier of tobacco, food, beverages, pharmaceuticals and services to Kiribati . Australian exports to Kiribati in 2006-07 totalled $28.7 million. Australian imports (principally crustaceans and dried, salted and smoked fish, and animal feed) from Kiribati totalled $1.8 million over the same period. Australian currency is used as the currency of exchange in Kiribati . The aid budget estimate for 2007-08 is a total of $15 million, of which $10.5 million is bilateral and concentrated in basic education, human resource development (including scholarships) and public sector management. Australia is supporting the Kiribati Adaptation Project, which aims to reduce Kiribati 's vulnerability to climate change, climate variability and sea level rise. Australia is also funding a Tuberculosis Epidemic Control Project managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) which will improve detection and treatment of tuberculosis. Multilateral support includes strengthening the Kiribati Police Force, reducing vulnerability to and impact of HIV and AIDS, improving child health and juvenile justice, and improving adolescent reproductive health and emergency obstetric care. Main sources: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/

The upper half of the flag of Kiribati 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

An elderly woman weaving palm leaves to make mats. Photographer: Caroline Penn, Photolibrary.com/Imagestate RM

Children playing Carom, in which they finger flick round wooden discs into the four holes in the corners of the board. Photo taken by Mathias Heng/AusAID