NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of Kiribati
note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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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 |
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Geographic coordinates:
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1 25 N, 173 00 E |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total: 811 sq km
note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands water: 0 sq km land: 811 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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four times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,143 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds |
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Terrain:
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mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) |
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Land use:
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arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 50.68% other: 49.32% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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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 |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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96,335 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 40.2% (male 19,588; female 19,092)
15-64 years: 56.6% (male 26,905; female 27,625) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 1,339; female 1,786) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.28% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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31.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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52.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 60.54 years
female: 63.62 years (2002 est.) male: 57.61 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.32 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
adjective: I-Kiribati |
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Ethnic groups:
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predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God (1999) |
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Languages:
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I-Kiribati, English (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |