At first glance, the contours of the terrain look a bit like a slingshot.
It has three uniques:
The only country in the world that crosses the equator and crosses the international date line,
It is also the only country in the world that straddles north-south latitudes and east-west longitudes.
The only place in the world that uses the UTC+14 time zone makes Kiribati the first country in the world to start the day. Sea water could flood the country due to rising sea levels due to global warming.
geographical location
The Republic of Kiribati, abbreviated as Kiribati, is located in the central Pacific Ocean and consists of 33 large and small islands (21 of which are permanently inhabited), belonging to the three archipelagos of Gilbert, Phoenix and Lane.
The highest point is only 2 meters above sea level, mostly low-lying coral islands, and it has been said that if the sea level rises, the country may be submerged.
The land area is 811 square kilometers, and it has a tropical marine climate.
Malay-Polynesian peoples settled 3,000 years ago.
Around the 14th century BC, Fijians and Tongans invaded and intermarried with the natives to form the Kiribati nation.
In 1892, the Gilbert Islands and parts of the Ellis Islands became British "protectorates".
In 1916, it was included in the "British Gilbert and Ellis Islands Colony" (the Ellis Islands was carved out in 1975 and renamed Tuvalu).
It was occupied by Japan during World War II.
Internal self-government was introduced on 1 January 1977.
It became independent on 12 July 1979 and was renamed Kiribati.
national flag
It is rectangular in shape and has a ratio of length to width of about 5:3. The upper half of the flag is red, and the lower half is six blue and white corrugated broadbands.
In the middle of the red part is a radiant, rising sun, and above it is a frigate bird.
Red symbolizes the earth; Blue and white ripples symbolize the Pacific Ocean; The sun symbolizes the sunlight at the equator, indicating that the country is located in the equatorial zone, and also symbolizes light and hope for the future; The frigate bird symbolizes strength, freedom and Kiribati's culture.
Anthem: "Stand up, Kiribati!" 》
Capital: Tarawa
Population: 120,000 (June 2022)
More than 90 per cent are Micronesians, while the rest are Polynesian and European immigrants.
Language: English
Currency: Common Australian dollar, US dollar
Total GDP: $305 million (2021)
GDP per capita: $2,542 (2021)
Diplomatic relations with China: established diplomatic relations in 1980, suspended in 2003, restored in 2019, ambassador level.
Kiribati scenery