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Compare Kiribati (2002) - Pacific Ocean (2002)

Compare Kiribati (2002) z Pacific Ocean (2002)

 Kiribati (2002)Pacific Ocean (2002)
 KiribatiPacific Ocean
Administrative divisions 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) -
Age structure 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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Agriculture - products copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish -
Airports 21 (2001) -
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)
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Airports - with unpaved runways total: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 4 (2002)
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Area total: 811 sq km


land: 811 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
total: 155.557 million sq km


note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Flores Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Java Sea, Philippine Sea, Savu Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative four times the size of Washington, DC about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Background 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. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.
Birth rate 31.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Budget revenues: $28.4 million


expenditures: $37.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (2000 est.) (2000 est.)
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Capital Tarawa -
Climate tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December
Coastline 1,143 km 135,663 km
Constitution 12 July 1979 -
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati


conventional short form: Kiribati


note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss


former: Gilbert Islands
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Currency Australian dollar (AUD) -
Death rate 8.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Debt - external $10 million (1999 est.) -
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati -
Diplomatic representation in the US Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu -
Disputes - international none some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Economic aid - recipient $15.5 million (1995), largely from UK and Japan -
Economy - overview 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. The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
Electricity - consumption 6.51 million kWh (2000) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - production 7 million kWh (2000) -
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
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Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m
lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m


highest point: sea level 0 m
Environment - 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 endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea
Environment - international agreements 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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Ethnic groups predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian -
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997) -
Executive branch 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


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


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 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%
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Exports $6 million f.o.b. (1998) -
Exports - commodities copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish -
Exports - partners Japan, Bangladesh, US, Australia, Brazil, Poland (2000) -
Fiscal year NA -
Flag description 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 -
GDP purchasing power parity - $79 million (2001 est.), supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 30%


industry: 7%


services: 63% (1998 est.)
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GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $840 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 1.5% (2001 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 1 25 N, 173 00 E 0 00 N, 160 00 W
Geography - note 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 the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean
Highways total: 670 km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km


note: 27 km are paved in South Tarawa (2001)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
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Imports $44 million c.i.f. (1999) -
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel -
Imports - partners Australia, Japan, Fiji, Poland, US (2000) -
Independence 12 July 1979 (from UK) -
Industrial production growth rate 0.7% (1991 est.) -
Industries fishing, handicrafts -
Infant mortality rate 52.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) -
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.5% (2001 est.) -
International organization participation 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) -
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km -
Judicial branch Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president -
Labor force 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.) -
Land boundaries 0 km -
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 50.68%


other: 49.32% (1998 est.)
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Languages I-Kiribati, English (official) -
Legal system NA -
Legislative branch 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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Life expectancy at birth total population: 60.54 years


male: 57.61 years


female: 63.62 years (2002 est.)
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Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
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Location 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 body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere
Map references Oceania Political Map of the World
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
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Merchant marine total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,291 GRT/1,295 DWT


ships by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2002 est.)
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Military - note Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ -
Military branches no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts are on all islands) -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% -
National holiday Independence Day, 12 July (1979) -
Nationality noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)


adjective: I-Kiribati
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Natural hazards 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 surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December
Natural resources phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) -
Political parties and leaders 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 NA -
Population 96,335 (July 2002 est.) -
Population below poverty line NA% -
Population growth rate 2.28% (2002 est.) -
Ports and harbors Banaba, Betio, English Harbour, Kanton Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1


note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)
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Radios 17,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God (1999) -
Sex ratio 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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Suffrage 18 years of age; universal -
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


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


note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service
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Telephones - main lines in use 3,800 (1999) -
Telephones - mobile cellular NA -
Television broadcast stations 1 (not reported to be active) (2002) -
Terrain mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest
Total fertility rate 4.32 children born/woman (2002 est.) -
Transportation - note - Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)
Unemployment rate 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) -
Waterways 5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) -
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