Kiribati (2002) | Sweden (2007) | |
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) | 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands |
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.) |
0-14 years: 16.4% (male 759,488/female 717,812)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 3,007,899/female 2,926,220) 65 years and over: 17.9% (male 707,687/female 911,982) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish | barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk |
Airports | 21 (2001) | 250 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002) |
total: 152
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 38 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 4 (2002) |
total: 98
914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 92 (2007) |
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: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km water: 39,030 sq km |
Area - comparative | four times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than California |
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. | A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Sweden joined the EU in 1995, but the public rejected the introduction of the euro in a 2003 referendum. |
Birth rate | 31.58 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 10.2 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $28.4 million
expenditures: $37.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
revenues: $221.6 billion
expenditures: $213.5 billion (2006 est.) |
Capital | Tarawa | name: Stockholm
geographic coordinates: 59 20 N, 18 03 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds | temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north |
Coastline | 1,143 km | 3,218 km |
Constitution | 12 July 1979 | 1 January 1975 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss former: Gilbert Islands |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige |
Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | - |
Death rate | 8.76 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 10.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $10 million (1999 est.) | $598.2 billion (30 June 2006) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael M. WOOD
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds Vag 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, US Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu | chief of mission: Ambassador Gunnar LUND
chancery: 902 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $1.7 billion (1997) |
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. | Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole of the 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP and 2% of employment. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002 due to the global economic slowdown, declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003 but picked up during 2004-06. Presumably because of generous sick-leave benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. In September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system concerned about the impact on the economy and sovereignty. |
Electricity - consumption | 6.51 million kWh (2000) | 134.1 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 21.97 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 14.58 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 7 million kWh (2000) | 153.2 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m |
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 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 | acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic 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 |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian | indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks |
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) | Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.3731 (2006), 7.4731 (2005), 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002) |
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% |
chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Fredrik REINFELDT (since 5 October 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) election results: Fredrik REINFELDT elected prime minister with 175 out of 349 votes |
Exports | $6 million f.o.b. (1998) | 231,100 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish | machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals |
Exports - partners | Japan, Bangladesh, US, Australia, Brazil, Poland (2000) | Germany 9.8%, US 9.3%, Norway 9.2%, UK 7.1%, Denmark 6.9%, Finland 6%, France 4.9%, Netherlands 4.7%, Belgium 4.5% (2006) |
Fiscal year | NA | calendar year |
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 | blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
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.) |
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 29% services: 69.6% (2006 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $840 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.5% (2001 est.) | 4.5% (2006 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 1 25 N, 173 00 E | 62 00 N, 15 00 E |
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 | strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas |
Heliports | - | 2 (2007) |
Highways | total: 670 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: 27 km are paved in South Tarawa (2001) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 22.2% (2000) |
Imports | $44 million c.i.f. (1999) | 580,600 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel | machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing |
Imports - partners | Australia, Japan, Fiji, Poland, US (2000) | Germany 17.3%, Denmark 9.1%, Norway 8.2%, UK 6%, Netherlands 5.8%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.6%, Belgium 4.1% (2006) |
Independence | 12 July 1979 (from UK) | 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king) |
Industrial production growth rate | 0.7% (1991 est.) | 4.3% (2006 est.) |
Industries | fishing, handicrafts | iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles |
Infant mortality rate | 52.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2001 est.) | 1.4% (2006 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) | AfDB, Arctic Council, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 1,150 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president | Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet) |
Labor force | 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.) | 4.586 million (2006 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 2%
industry: 24% services: 74% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 50.68% other: 49.32% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 5.93%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 94.06% (2005) |
Languages | I-Kiribati, English (official) | Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
Legal system | NA | civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
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) |
unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 17 September 2006 (next to be held in September 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 37.2%, Moderates 27.8%, Center Party 8.3%, People's Party 8.0%, Christian Democrats 6.9%, Left Party 6.3%, Greens 5.4%; seats by party - Social Democrats 130, Moderates 97, Center Party 29, People's Party 28, Christian Democrats 24, Left Party 22, Greens 19 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 60.54 years
male: 57.61 years female: 63.62 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 80.63 years
male: 78.39 years female: 83 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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 | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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.) |
total: 194 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,883,695 GRT/2,451,123 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 23, carrier 1, chemical tanker 49, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 37, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 35, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 22 foreign-owned: 34 (Denmark 4, Finland 10, Germany 4, Italy 7, Japan 1, Norway 5, UK 2, US 1) registered in other countries: 198 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Bahamas 5, Barbados 5, Bermuda 15, Cayman Islands 1, Cook Islands 9, Cyprus 2, Denmark 4, Finland 2, France 10, Gibraltar 10, Isle of Man 3, Italy 1, South Korea 2, Liberia 11, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Netherlands 27, Netherlands Antilles 3, Norway 31, Panama 9, Portugal 2, Singapore 17, St Vincent and The Grenadines 2, UK 19, US 5) (2007) |
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) | Swedish Armed Forces (Forsvarsmakten): Army (Armen), Royal Swedish Navy (Marinen), Swedish Air Force (Svenska Flygvapnet) (2006) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 1.5% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 12 July (1979) | Swedish Flag Day, 6 June (1916); National Day, 6 June (1983) |
Nationality | noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
adjective: I-Kiribati |
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish |
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 | ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic |
Natural resources | phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) | iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 1.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 798 km (2006) |
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 |
Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Environment Party the Greens [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Social Democratic Party [Mona SAHLIN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 96,335 (July 2002 est.) | 9,031,088 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.28% (2002 est.) | 0.159% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Banaba, Betio, English Harbour, Kanton | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002) |
AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | 17,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 11,528 km
standard gauge: 11,528 km 1.435-m gauge (7,527 km electrified) (2006) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God (1999) | Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13% |
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.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.058 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.028 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.776 male(s)/female total population: 0.982 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 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 |
general assessment: excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 3,800 (1999) | 6.379 million (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 9.087 million (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (not reported to be active) (2002) | 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs | mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west |
Total fertility rate | 4.32 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.66 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) | 5.6% (2006 est.) |
Waterways | 5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) | 2,052 km (2005) |