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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. |
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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
land: 811 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes three island groups - Gilbert
Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands |
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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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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 2.74%
permanent crops: 50.68%
other: 46.58% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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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, Law of the Sea, 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 |
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Population:
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103,092
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 38.9% (male 20,342/female 19,806)
15-64 years: 57.7% (male 29,362/female 30,136)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,477/female 1,969)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
20.05 years
male: 19.61 years
female: 20.58 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.25%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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30.86
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.37
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
48.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 53.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 61.71 years
male: 58.71 years
female: 64.86 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.2
children born/woman (2005 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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Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2% (2000 census) |
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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% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati
note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands |
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Tarawa
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Administrative divisions:
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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) |
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Independence:
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12 July
1979 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 12 July (1979) |
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Constitution:
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12 July
1979 |
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Legal system:
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NA |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 its 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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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: legislative elections were held in two
rounds - the first round on 9 May 2003 and the second
round on 14 May 2003 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of
Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at
all levels are appointed by the president |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AsDB,
C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WMO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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Kiribati
does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary
consulate in Honolulu |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US
does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to
Fiji is accredited to Kiribati |
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$79
million - supplemented by a nearly equal amount from
external sources (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.5%
(2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $800 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 30%
industry: 7%
services: 63% (1998 est.) |
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Labor force:
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7,870
economically active, not including subsistence farmers
(2001 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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2%;
underemployment 70% (1992 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.5%
(2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $28.4 million
expenditures: $37.2 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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copra,
taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish |
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Industries:
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fishing,
handicrafts |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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0.7%
(1991 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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7 million
kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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6.51
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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190
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$35
million f.o.b. (2002) |
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Exports - commodities:
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copra
62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish |
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Exports - partners:
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France
45.7%, Japan 29.2%, US 9.1%, Thailand 5.4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$83
million c.i.f. (2002) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous
manufactured goods, fuel |
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Imports - partners:
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Australia
33.6%, Fiji 29.8%, Japan 10.3%, New Zealand 6.9%, France
4.1% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$10
million (1999 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$15.5
million largely from UK and Japan (2001 est.) |
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Currency (code):
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Australian dollar (AUD) |
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Currency code:
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AUD |
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Exchange rates:
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Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419
(2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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NA |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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4,500
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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500
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: generally good quality national
and international service
domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa
and Kiritimati; connections to outer islands by HF/VHF
radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa
since 1999
international: country code - 686; Kiribati is
being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative
Telecommunications Network, which should improve
telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Pacific Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
2, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station may be inactive
(2002) |
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Radios:
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17,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (not
reported to be active) (2002) |
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Televisions:
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1,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.ki |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2000)
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Internet users:
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2,000
(2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
670 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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5 km
(small network of canals in Line Islands) (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Betio
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Merchant marine:
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total:
1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,291 GRT/1,295 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2005) |
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Airports:
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20 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no
regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law
enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small
police posts are on all islands) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA |
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Military - note:
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Kiribati
does not have military forces; defense assistance is
provided by Australia and NZ |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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