Kiribati - Kiribati The Republic of Kiribati is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. The country's 33 islands are scattered over 3800 km around the equator. Its name is pronounced /kiribas/ and is a Micronesian transliteration of the former English name for the main group of islands, the Gilbert Islands. Republic of Kiribati (In Detail) (Full size) National motto: 'Maaka te atua, karinea te uea; mataku i te atua, fakamamalu ki te tupu (I-Kiribati: Fear the God, respect the king) Official language English Capital Tarawa President Anote Tong Area - Total - % water Ranked 172nd 717 km˛ 0% Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 195th 94,149 131/km˛ Independence July 12, 1979 Currency Australian dollar Time zone UTC +12, +13, +14 National anthem Teirake Kaini Kiribati.
History of Kiribati - History of Kiribati The I-Kiribati people settled what would become known as the Gilbert Islands between 1000 and 1300 AD. Subsequent invasions by Fijians and Tongans introduced Polynesian elements to the Micronesian culture, but extensive intermarriage produced a population reasonably homogeneous in appearance and traditions. European contact began in the 16th century. Whalers, slave traders, and merchant vessels arrived in great numbers in the 1800s, and the resulting upheaval fomented local tribal conflicts and introduced damaging European diseases. In an effort to restore a measure of order, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (now Tuvalu) consented to becoming British protectorates in 1892. Banaba (Ocean Island) was annexed in 1900 after the discovery of phosphate-rich guano deposits, and the entire collection was made a British colony in 1916. The.
Geography of Kiribati - Geography of Kiribati Kiribati (pronounced "keer-ih-bahs") consists of 32 atolls and one island scattered over an expanse of ocean equivalent in size to the continental United States. The islands lie roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia in the Micronesian region of the South Pacific. The three main groupings are the Gilbert Islands, Phoenix Islands, and Line Islands. On January 1, 1995 Kiribati moved the International Date Line to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country. Kiribati contains Kiritimati (Christmas Island), the largest coral atoll in the world, and Banaba (Ocean Island), one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific. Most of the land is less than two meters above sea level. A 1989 United Nations report identified Kiribati.
Flag of Kiribati - Flag of Kiribati The Flag of Kiribati: the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean..
Foreign relations of Kiribati - Foreign relations of Kiribati Kiribati maintains good relations with most countries and has particularly close ties to its Pacific neighbors--Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Kiribati suspended its relations with France in 1995 over that country's decision to renew nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Kiribati signed a treaty of friendship with the United States in 1979. The U.S. has no consular or diplomatic facilities in the country. Officers of the American Embassy in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, are concurrently accredited to Kiribati and make periodic visits. Kiribati hosted the Thirty-First Pacific Islands Forum in October 2000. The country became a member of the United Nations in 1999. In November 7, 2003, Kiribati established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). Although it did not sever.
Economy of Kiribati - Economy of Kiribati Kiribati's per capita GNP of less than $1,000 makes it one of the poorest countries in the world. Phosphates had been profitably exported from Banaban Island since the turn of the century, but the deposits were exhausted in 1979. The economy now depends on foreign assistance and revenue from fishing licenses to finance its needed imports and development budget. The expiration of phosphate deposits in 1979 had a devastating impact on the economy. Receipts from phosphates had accounted for roughly 80% of export earnings and 50% of government revenue. Per capita GDP was more than cut in half between 1979 and 1981. A trust fund financed by phosphate earnings over the years--the Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund--does still exist, and contained more than $350 million.
Demographics of Kiribati - Demographics of Kiribati Population: 91,985 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 40.85% (male 19,027; female 18,551) 15-64 years: 56% (male 25,411; female 26,097) 65 years and over: 3.15% (male 1,239; female 1,660) (2000 est.) Population growth rate: 2.34% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 32.43 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 9.01 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) 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 (2000 est.) Infant mortality rate: 55.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.78 years male: 56.89 years female: 62.82 years (2000 est.) Total fertility rate: 4.4 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality: noun: I-Kiribati (singular.
Tarawa, Kiribati - Tarawa, Kiribati Tarawa, population 28,802 (1990), is the capital of Kiribati. Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The administrative center of the atoll is Bairiki Island. Betio Island is a port through which copra and pearl shell are exported. The population is mainly Micronesian. During World War II, Tarawa was occupied by the Japanese, and starting on November 20, 1943 it was the scene of the bloody Battle of Tarawa. On that day United States Marines landed on Tarawa and Makin atolls and took heavy fire from Japanese shore guns. Tarawa is the site of a teacher's training college and a marine training school, as well as an international airport..
Communications in Kiribati - Communications in Kiribati Telephones - main lines in use: 3,800 (1999) Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995) Telephone system: 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 Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2002) note: the shortwave station may be inactive Radios: 17,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 1 (not reported to be active) (2002) Televisions: 1,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002) Internet users: 1000 (2000) Country code (Top-level domain): KI See also : Kiribati.
Transportation in Kiribati - Transportation in Kiribati Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 670 km (1996 est.) paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: 27 km are paved in South Tarawa (2001) Waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands Ports and harbors: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton 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.) Airports: 21 (2001) Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 4 (2002) See also : Kiribati.
Politics of Kiribati - Politics of Kiribati The constitution promulgated at independence on July 12, 1979, establishes Kiribati as a sovereign democratic republic and guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens. The unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba) has 41 members: 39 elected representatives; one appointed member from Banaba, and the Attorney General on an ex officio basis. All of the members of the Maneaba serve 4-year terms. The speaker for the legislature is elected by the Maneaba from outside of its membership. After each general election, the new Maneaba nominates three or four of its members to stand as candidates for president (Beretitenti). The voting public then elects the president from among these candidates. A cabinet of up to 10 members is appointed by the president from among the members of.
Military of Kiribati - Military of Kiribati 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% Military - note: Kiribati does not have military forces. Defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZ See also : Kiribati.
List of political parties in Kiribati - List of political parties in Kiribati This is a list of political parties in Kiribati Maurin Kiribati Pati National Progressive Party Pillars of Truth (Boutokaan Te Koaua) Protect the Maneaba (Maneaban Te Mauri) See also: Politics of Kiribati, List of political parties..
Kiritimati - Islands, and has the largest land area of any coral atoll in the world, 575 square kilometers (222 square miles). It is now part of the Republic of Kiribati..
July 13 - 1927 - Simone Veil, politician 1928 - Bob Crane, actor, (+ 1978) 1928 - Mace Neufeld, film producer 1933 - David Malcolm Storey, writer 1934 - Wole Soyinka, writer 1934 - Aleksei Yeliseyev, cosmonaut 1940 - Patrick Stewart, actor 1941 - Robert Forster, actor 1942 - Harrison Ford, actor 1942 - Roger McGuinn, musician 1946 - Cheech Marin, actor, comedian 1953 - Johnny Clegg, composer, musician 1957 - Cameron Crowe, film director, writer Deaths 1706 - Titus Oates, Protestant plotter 1793 - Jean Paul Marat, French revolutionary (murdered by Charlotte Corday) 1896 - Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz, organic chemist 1946 - Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer 1951 - Arnold Schoenberg, composer 1954 - Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter 1967 - Tom Simpson, professional cyclist 1970 - Arthur Miller, writer 1983 - Gabrielle.
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council - is the highest court of appeal in some cases, while in most others the highest court of appeal is the House of Lords. In Scottish criminal cases the highest court is the High Court of Justiciary. The Judicial Committee: Acts as highest court of appeal for certain Commonwealth countries, namely New Zealand, several Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago), Kiribati and Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The Court will soon only hear cases from the final three nations, as most of the other nations have abolished their countries' right of appeal (see below). Acts as highest court of appeal for UK Overseas Territories, namely Anguilla,.
July 12 - from Oregon 1930 - Gordon Pinsent, actor, director, writer 1933 - Donald E. Westlake, author 1934 - Van Cliburn, pianist 1937 - Bill Cosby, comedian, actor 1937 - Lionel Jospin, Prime Minister of France 1948 - Richard Simmons, fitness trainer 1948 - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, musician (+ 1997) 1965 - Mauro Gandini, economist 1971 - Kristi Yamaguchi, figure skater 1976 - Anna Friel 1977 - Seann William Scott, actor 1991 - Erik Per Sullivan, actor, Malcolm in the Middle Deaths 1536 - Erasmus of Rotterdam, Dutch writer and philospher 1919 - Charles Rock 1921 - Ralph Herz 1923 - Harry Lonsdale 1926 - Gertrude Bell, archaeologist, writer, spy and administrator known as the "Uncrowned Queen of Iraq" 1935 - Alfred Dreyfus, French military officer 1962 - Roger Wolfe Kahn, band.
July 14 - (+ 1991) 1918 - Ingmar Bergman, film and theatre director 1918 - Arthur Laurents, playwright, novelist, and director 1919 - Lino Ventura, actor (+ 1987) 1926 - Harry Dean Stanton, actor 1927 - John Chancellor, television commentator (+ 1996) 1938 - Jerry Rubin, 60s activist (+ 1994) 1977 - Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden Deaths 1223 - Philip II of France, King of France 1887 - Alfred Krupp (Alfried Felix Alwyn Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach}, German munitions manufacturer 1904 - Anton Chekhov - Russian playwright and short story writer 1965 - Adlai Stevenson, US presidential candidate 2002 - Joaquin Balaguer, Dominican political leader 2002 - Qiqi, the longest-living captive Chinese River Dolphin 2003 - André Claveau, French singer. Holidays and observances France and all French dependencies - Bastille Day Iraq.
International Callsign Allocations - (Republic of) UAA-UIZ Russian Federation UJA-UMZ Uzbekistan (Republic of) UNA-UQZ Kazakhstan (Republic of) URA-UZZ Ukraine VAA-VGZ Canada VHA-VNZ Australia VOA-VOZ Canada VPA-VQZ United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland VRA-VRZ China (People's Republic of) - Honkong VSA-VSZ United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland VTA-VWZ India (Republic of) VXA-VYZ Canada VZA-VZZ Australia V2A-V2Z Antigua and Barbuda V3A-V3Z Belize V4A-V4Z Saint Kitts and Nevis V5A-V5Z Namibia (Republic of) V6A-V6Z Micronesia (Federated States of) V7A-V7Z Marshall Islands (Republic of the) V8A-V8Z Brunei Darussalam WAA-WZZ United States of America XAA-XIZ Mexico XJA-XOZ Canada XPA-XPZ Denmark XQA-XRZ Chile XSA-XSZ China (People's Republic of) XTA-XTZ Burkina Faso XUA-XUZ Cambodia (Kingdom of) XVA-XVZ Viet Nam (Socialist Republic of) XWA-XWZ Lao People's Democratic Republic XXA-XXZ Portugal XYA-XZZ Myanmar (Union of) YAA-YAZ Afghanistan (Islamic State of) YBA-YHZ.
ISO 3166-3 - - 1977 French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. Replaced by DJ (for Djibouti). Note that AI has since been reassigned to Anguilla. BQ - BQAQ - 1979 British Antarctic Territory. Now covered by AQ (Antarctica). BU - BUMM - 1989 Burma. Replaced by MM (for Myanmar). CS - CSHH - 1993 Czechoslovakia. Replaced by CZ and SK. Note that CS is now assigned to Serbia and Montenegro (Srbija i Crna Gora). CT - CTKI - 1984 Canton and Enderbury Islands. Now covered by KI (Kiribati). DD - DDDE - 1990 East Germany. Now covered by DE (Germany). DY - DYBJ - 1977 Dahomey. Replaced by BJ (for Benin). FQ - FQHH - 1979 French Southern and Antarctic Territories. Now covered by AQ and TF. FX - FXFR - 1997.
