Kiribati
island sovereign state in the central Pacific Ocean
Press Enter · cited answer in seconds
0 sources
World Factbook
CIA reference data · 4 sections
Geography
Location
Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
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), coconuts (copra), fish
People & Society
Languages
Gilbertese, English (official)
Religions
Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic
Independence
12 July 1979 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Legal system
English common law supplemented by customary law
Economy
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$438.143 million (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$3,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
5.3% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
9.3% (2023 est.)
Exports - partners
Thailand 85%, Japan 6%, Philippines 3%, UAE 2%, Fiji 1% (2023)
Imports - partners
China 24%, Australia 20%, Fiji 15%, Japan 7%, NZ 6% (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook · public domain (US gov work, 17 USC §105) · fetched 2026-05-06
Summary
Kiribati is a sovereign state[1]. Kiribati draws 48,874 Wikipedia views per month (sovereign state category, ranking #117 of 197).[2]
Key Facts
- Member of: United Nations[3], Commonwealth of Nations[4], International Bank for Reconstruction and Development[5], International Development Association[6], International Finance Corporation[7], Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States[8], Alliance of Small Island States[9], Asian Development Bank[10], Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons[11], UNESCO[12], Universal Postal Union UPU[13], International Telecommunication Union[14], World Meteorological Organization[15], World Health Organization[16]
- Country: Kiribati[17]
- Head of government: Taneti Maamau[18]
- Continent: Insular Oceania[19], Oceania[20]
- Instance of: island country[21], archipelagic state[22], country[23]
- Head of state: Taneti Maamau[24]
- Capital: South Tarawa[25]
- Official language: English[26], Gilbertese[27]
- Currency: Kiribati dollar[28], Australian dollar[29]
- Shares border with: United States[30], France[31]
- Top-level Internet domain: .ki[32]
- Anthem: Kunan Kiribati[33]
- Named after: Thomas Gilbert[34], Gilbert Islands[35]
- Follows: Q109039323[36]
- Flag: flag of Kiribati[37]
- Legislative body: House of Assembly of Kiribati[38]
- Coat of arms: coat of arms of Kiribati[39]
- Part of: Micronesia[40], Polynesia[41]
- Commons category: Kiribati[42]
- Located in time zone: UTC+12:00[43], UTC+13:00[44], UTC+14:00[45], Pacific/Tarawa[46], Pacific/Kanton[47], Pacific/Kiritimati[48]
- Foundational text: Constitution of Kiribati[49]
- Telephone country code: +686[50]
- Unicode character: 🇰🇮[51]
- Diplomatic relation: Spain[52], Cuba[53], United States[54], People's Republic of China[55], Georgia[56], Finland[57]
Body
Cultural Significance
Things named for Kiribati include Kiribati[58], a human population[59].
Why It Matters
Kiribati has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[60] Kiribati is known by 38 alternative names across languages and contexts.[61]
Entities named for Kiribati include Kiribati[58], a human population[59].