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NAVIGATION
Republic of Kiribati
note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati former: Gilbert Islands note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Tarawa |
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Administrative divisions:
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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) |
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Independence:
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12 July 1979 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 12 July (1979) |
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Constitution:
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12 July 1979 |
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Legal system:
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NA |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President Beniamina TIINGA (since NA December 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential candidates from among their members and then those candidates compete in a general election; president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 25 February 2003 (next to be held by November 2007); vice president appointed by the president election results: Teburoro TITO reelected president; percent of vote - Teburoro TITO 50.4%, Taberannang TIMEON 48.4%, Bakeua Bakeua TEKITA 1.2% cabinet: 12-member Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Parliament head of government: President Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President Beniamina TIINGA (since NA December 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member - the attorney general, one appointed to represent Banaba, and one other; members serve four-year terms)
elections: first round elections last held 29 November 2002; second round elections held 6 December 2002 (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) |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; 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 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati |
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Flag description:
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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 |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national 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, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $79 million (2001 est.), supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.5% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $840 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 30%
industry: 7% services: 63% (1998 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.5% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $28.4 million
expenditures: $37.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
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Industries:
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fishing, handicrafts |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.7% (1991 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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7 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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6.51 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish |
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Exports:
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$6 million f.o.b. (1998) |
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Exports - commodities:
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copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish |
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Exports - partners:
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Japan, Bangladesh, US, Australia, Brazil, Poland (2000) |
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Imports:
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$44 million c.i.f. (1999) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel |
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Imports - partners:
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Australia, Japan, Fiji, Poland, US (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$10 million (1999 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$15.5 million (1995), largely from UK and Japan |
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Currency:
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Australian dollar (AUD) |
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Currency code:
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AUD |
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Exchange rates:
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Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) |
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Fiscal year:
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NA |