ze 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
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m

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: heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due
to heavy migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon
latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk
natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November
to March; occasional tornadoes
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

Geographic 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

People
------

Population: 80,919 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 1.89% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 27.13 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 7.9 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: NA male(s)/female
under 15 years: NA male(s)/female
15-64 years: NA male(s)/female
65 years and over: NA male(s)/female
all ages: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 52.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.02 years
male: 60.25 years
female: 64.03 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.21 children born/woman (1996 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), Gilbert