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