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