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Compare Kiribati (2004) - Christmas Island (2008)

Compare Kiribati (2004) z Christmas Island (2008)

 Kiribati (2004)Christmas Island (2008)
 KiribatiChristmas Island
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) none (territory of Australia)
Age structure 0-14 years: 39.3% (male 20,087; female 19,566)


15-64 years: 57.3% (male 28,523; female 29,280)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,434; female 1,908) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish NA
Airports 20 (2003 est.) 1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 17


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 12


under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
-
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: 135 sq km


land: 135 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative four times the size of Washington, DC about three-quarters the size of Washington, DC
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. Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate 30.99 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) NA
Budget revenues: $28.4 million


expenditures: $37.2 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
Capital Tarawa name: The Settlement


geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E


time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Coastline 1,143 km 138.9 km
Constitution 12 July 1979 Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati


conventional short form: Kiribati


note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss


former: Gilbert Islands
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island


conventional short form: Christmas Island
Currency Australian dollar (AUD) -
Death rate 8.49 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) NA
Debt - external $10 million (1999 est.) -
Dependency status - non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient $15.5 million largely from UK and Japan (2001 est.) $NA
Economy - overview A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural 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 equals 25%-50% of GDP. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future.
Electricity - consumption 6.51 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - production 7 million kWh (2001) -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Murray Hill 361 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 loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%


note: no indigenous population (2001)
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000), 1.55 (1999) Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice President Teima ONORIO; 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 4 July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2007); vice president appointed by the president


election results: Anote TONG 47.4%, Harry TONG 43.5%, Banuera BERINA 9.1%
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general


head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports NA (2001) $NA
Exports - commodities copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish phosphate
Exports - partners Japan 75%, Australia 8.3%, US 8.3%, Philippines 4.2%, Thailand 4.2% (2003) Australia, NZ (2006)
Fiscal year NA 1 July - 30 June
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 territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island


note: the flag of Australia is used for official purposes
GDP purchasing power parity - $79 million - supplemented by a nearly equal amount from external sources (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 30%


industry: 7%


services: 63% (1998 est.)
-
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $800 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 1.5% (2001 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 1 25 N, 173 00 E 10 30 S, 105 40 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 located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Highways total: 670 km


paved: NA km


unpaved: NA km (1999 est.)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
-
Imports NA (2001) $NA
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel consumer goods
Imports - partners Australia 41.7%, Fiji 26.7%, New Zealand 8.9%, Japan 5.9%, US 4% (2003) principally Australia (2006)
Independence 12 July 1979 (from UK) none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate 0.7% (1991 est.) -
Industries fishing, handicrafts tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate total: 49.9 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 55.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 44.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.5% (2001 est.) -
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO none
Irrigated land NA sq km NA
Judicial branch Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001 est.) NA
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: 2.74%


permanent crops: 50.68%


other: 46.58% (2001)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
Languages I-Kiribati, English (official) English (official), Chinese, Malay
Legal system NA under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
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)


note: new legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first round on 9 May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003
unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth total population: 61.32 years


male: 58.34 years


female: 64.44 years (2004 est.)
total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
NA
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 Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references Oceania Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,291 GRT/1,295 DWT


by type: passenger 1 (2004 est.)
-
Military - note Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ defense is the responsibility of Australia
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) Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)


adjective: I-Kiribati
noun: Christmas Islander(s)


adjective: Christmas Island
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 the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) NA
Political parties and leaders Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP [leader NA]; 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
none
Political pressure groups and leaders NA none
Population 100,798 (July 2004 est.) 1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA -
Population growth rate 2.25% (2004 est.) 0% (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 2, shortwave 0 (2006)
Religions Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God (1999) Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
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 (2004 est.)
NA
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal -
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


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


note: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network


domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005


international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)
Telephones - main lines in use 4,500 (2002) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 500 (2002) -
Television broadcast stations 1 (not reported to be active) (2002) 0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006)
Terrain mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate 4.24 children born/woman (2004 est.) NA
Unemployment rate 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) -
Waterways 5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2003) -
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