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more about kiribati
kiribati |
2 definitions found From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: Kiribati n : an island republic in the west central Pacific just S of the equator [syn: {Kiribati}] From The CIA World Factbook (1995) [world95]: Kiribati Kiribati:Geography Location: Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator and the International Date Line about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia Map references: Oceania Area: total area: 717 sq km land area: 717 sq km comparative area: slightly more than four times the size of Washington, DC note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 1,143 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: none 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: 0% permanent crops: 51% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 3% other: 46% Irrigated land: NA sq km Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change Note: 20 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 Kiribati:People Population: 79,386 (July 1995 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA Population growth rate: 1.95% (1995 est.) Birth rate: 31.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) Death rate: 12.31 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) Net migration rate: 0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) Infant mortality rate: 98.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.16 years male: 52.56 years female: 55.78 years (1995 est.) Total fertility rate: 3.73 children born/woman (1995 est.) Nationality: noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural) adjective: I-Kiribati Ethnic divisions: Micronesian Religions: Roman Catholic 52.6%, Protestant (Congregational) 40.9%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985) Languages: English (official), Gilbertese Literacy: NA% Labor force: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.) Kiribati:Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati conventional short form: Kiribati former: Gilbert Islands Digraph: KR Type: republic Capital: Tarawa 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 (Abaiang, Abemama Aranuka Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari Kanton, Kiritimati Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei Nikunau Nonouti Onotoa Tabiteuea Tabuaeran Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina note - one council for each of the inhabited islands) Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK) National holiday: Independence Day 12 July (1979) Constitution: 12 July 1979 Legal system: NA Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Beretitenti Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); election last held on 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA 1999) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from an elected parliament Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu): elections last held on 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA seats - (40 total; 39 elected) Maneaban Te Mauri 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19 Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party, Teatao TEANNAKI Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO; New Movement Party, leader NA Liberal Party, Tewareka TENTOA Maneaba Party, Roniti TEIWAKI Maneaban Te Mauri, leader NA 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 Member of: ACP, AsDB C, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU IDA, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU, SPARTECA SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO Diplomatic representation in US: Kiribati has no mission in the US US diplomatic representation: the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati 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: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati 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 5% 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 10%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish catch. GDP then fell by 2.2% in 1989 and by 2.9% in 1990, but has risen by about 3% annually in 1991-93. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, amounting to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $62 million (1993 est.) National product real growth rate: 2.9% (1993 est.) National product per capita: $800 (1993 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (1993 est.) Unemployment rate: 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) Budget: revenues: $29.6 million expenditures: $32.8 million, including capital expenditures of $14 million (1993 est.) Exports: $4.2 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: copra 50%, seaweed 16%, fish 15% partners: Denmark, Fiji, US Imports: $33.1 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel partners: Australia 40%, Japan 18%, Fiji 17%, NZ 6%, US 4% (1991) External debt: $2 million (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 0.7% (1992 est.); accounts for less than 4% of GDP Electricity: capacity: 5,000 kW production: 13 million kWh consumption per capita: 131 kWh (1993) Industries: fishing, handicrafts Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute about 65% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops - taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food Economic aid: recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $273 million Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990) Fiscal year: NA Kiribati:Transportation Railroads: 0 km Highways: total: 640 km paved: NA unpaved: NA Inland waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km in Line Islands Ports: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton Merchant marine: total: 1 passenger-cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,291 GRT/1,295 DWT Airports: total: 21 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 5 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11 Kiribati:Communications Telephone system: 1,400 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station Radio: broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 radios: NA Television: broadcast stations: 0 televisions: NA Kiribati:Defense Forces Branches: Police Force (carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; there are small police posts on all islands); no military force is maintained Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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