KIRIBATI GEOGRAPHY Total area: 717 km2; land area: 717 km2; includes three island groups--Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands Comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 1,143 km Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 51%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 3%; other 46% Environment: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited Note: 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 Population: 71,137 (July 1991), growth rate 1.6% (1991) Birth rate: 33 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 63 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 58 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--I-Kiribati (sing., pl.); adjective--I-Kiribati Ethnic divisions: Micronesian Religion: Roman Catholic 52.6%, Protestant (Congregational) 40.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985) Language: English (official), Gilbertese Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) Labor force: 7,870 economically active (1985 est.) Organized labor: Kiribati Trades Union Congress--2,500 members GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Kiribati; note--pronounced Kiribas Type: republic Capital: Tarawa Administrative divisions: 3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note--a new administrative structure of 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) may have been changed to 20 island councils (one for each of the inhabited islands) named Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands) Constitution: 12 July 1979 National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979) Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu) Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ieremia TABAI (since 12 July 1979); Vice President Teatao TEANNAKI (since 20 July 1979) Political parties and leaders: Gilbertese National Party; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO, secretary; essentially not organized on the basis of political parties Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: President--last held on 12 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991); results--Ieremia TABAI 50.1%, Tebruroro TITO 42.7%, Tetao TEANNAKI 7.2%; House of Assembly--last held on 19 March l987 (next to be held May 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP (associate), IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador (vacant) lives in Tarawa (Kiribati); US--none Flag: 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 Overview: The country has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP declined about 8% in 1987, as the fish catch fell sharply to only one-fourth the level of 1986 and copra production was hampered by repeated rains. Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP growing by 17%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish catch. Following the strong surge in output in 1988, GNP increased 1% in 1989 and again in 1990. GDP: $36.8 million, per capita $525; real growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.0% (1990 est.) Unemployment rate: 2% (1985); considerable underemployment Budget: revenues $29.9 million; expenditures $16.3 million, including capital expenditures of $14.0 million (1990 est.) Exports: $5.8 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--fish 55%, copra 42%; partners--EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985) Imports: $26.7 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.); commodities--foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment; partners--Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985) External debt: $2.0 million (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 0.0% (1988 est.); accounts for less than 4% of GDP Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: fishing, handicrafts Agriculture: accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute about 95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops--taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $258 million Currency: Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2834 (January 1991), 1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985) Fiscal year: NA COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 640 km of motorable roads Inland waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands Ports: Banaba and Betio (Tarawa) Civil air: 2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft Airports: 22 total; 21 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: 1,400 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: no military force maintained; the Police Force carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; there are small police posts on all islands Manpower availability: NA Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP