|RNature and climate:|N Three groups of islands and one isolated volcanic island spread over a large area in the central Pacific Ocean. It comprises Banaba or Ocean Island, the 16 Gilbert Islands, the 8 Phoenix Islands and 8 of the 11 Line Islands. The three other islands in the Line group, Jarvis, Palmyra and Kingman Reef, are uninhabited dependencies of the USA.
The Line Islands, Phoenix Islands and Banaba have a maritime equatorial climate and the islands in north and south tropical climate.
Average temperature throughout the year around 28°C.
Percipitation by and south of the Equator 1200 mm and on the northern islands 3000 mm.
|RPeople:|N 80% Micronesian. The remainder Polynesian, European and Chinese.
|REconomy:|N Up to 1979 phosphate was extracted on Banaba, but then it ceased causing a severe impact on economy. Phosphate gave 80% of the export revenues and 50% of the taxes, so GDP dropped drastically.
The economy is now based on subsistence farming and fishing. Copra and fish are exported, but food production is not enough for the domestic demands.
Fishing rights sold to other countries is the biggest source of income.
The islands depend on foreign aid, mainly from the UK.
|RHistory:|N In 1882 Great Britain made a protectorate of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands and annexed them in 1916 and later extended the colony with other islands.
In 1975 the Ellice Islands were proclaimed the independent country Tuvalu and in 1977 the Gilbert Islands were granted internal self-rule and became the independent country Kiribati in 1979.
A treaty of friendship between Kiribati and the USA in 1979 settled the US claim on several of the Line and Phoenix Islands.
The Gilbert Islands were occupied by Japan in 1942 during World War II, but recaptured in 1943. The Tarawa Atoll, with capital Bailiri, saw some of the bloodiest battles of the war in the Pacific.
