1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline
1,143 km
Comparative area
slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
NEGL% arable land; 51% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 3% forest and woodland; 46% other
Natural resources
phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Note
Banaba or Ocean Island is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (the others are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru)
Terrain
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
717 km2; land area: 717 km2; includes three island groups--Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
People and Society
Birth rate
34 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
13 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
Micronesian
Infant mortality rate
65 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
7,870 economically active (1985 est.)
Language
English (official), Gilbertese
Life expectancy at birth
52 years male, 57 years female (1990)
Literacy
90%
Nationality
noun--Kiribatian(s); adjective--Kiribati
Net migration rate
- 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
Kiribati Trades Union Congress--2,500 members
Population
70,012 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)
Religion
48% Roman Catholic, 45% Protestant (Congregational), some Seventh-Day Adventist and Baha'i
Total fertility rate
4.3 children born/woman (1990)
Government
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
Capital
Tarawa
Constitution
12 July 1979
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador (vacant) lives in Tarawa (Kiribati); US--none
Elections
President--last held on 12 May 1987 (next to be held May 1991); results--Ieremia T. Tabai 50.1%, Tebruroro Tito 42.7%, Tetao Tannaki 7.2%; National Assembly--last held on 19 March l987 (next to be held March 1991); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(40 total; 39 elected) percent of seats by party NA
Executive branch
president, vice president, Cabinet
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
Independence
12 July 1979 (from UK; formerly Gilbert Islands)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal, High Court
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ieremia T. TABAI
Legislative branch
unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)
Long-form name
Republic of Kiribati
Member of
ACP, ADB, Commonwealth, ESCAP (associate member), GATT (de facto), ICAO, IMF, SPF, WHO
National holiday
Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Political parties and leaders
Gilbertese National Party; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro Tito, secretary; essentially not organized on basis of political parties
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute 95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops--taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $245 million
Budget
revenues $22.0 million; expenditures $12.7 million, including capital expenditures of $9.7 million (1988)
Currency
Australian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Electricity
5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1--1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
Exports
$5.1 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--fish 55%, copra 42%; partners--EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)
External debt
$2.0 million (December 1987 est.)
Fiscal year
NA
GDP
$34 million, per capita $500; real growth rate 0% (1989)
Imports
$21.5 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment; partners--Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
fishing, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.1% (1988)
Overview
The country has few national resources. 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, GDP remained about the same in 1989.
Unemployment rate
2% (1985); considerable underemployment
Communications
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
Civil air
2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft
Highways
640 km of motorable roads
Inland waterways
small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
Ports
Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)
Telecommunications
1,400 telephones; stations--1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
NA
Defense expenditures
NA
Military manpower
NA