Wayzata World Factbook 1996/The World Factbook - 1996 Edition - Wayzata Technology (3079) (1996).iso/mac/TEXT/backgrd/KIRIBATI.BKG

Text File | 1995-12-27 | 13KB | 298 lines

BACKGROUND NOTES:  KIRIBATI
PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

JANUARY 1994
Official Name:  Republic of Kiribati


PROFILE

Geography
Area:  719 sq. km. (266 sq. mi.).  Capital:  Tarawa.  Terrain:
Archipelago of low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive
reefs.  Climate:  Hot and humid, moderated by trade winds.


People
Nationality:  Noun and adjective--Kiribatian(s).  Population
(July 1992):  74,788; Tarawa (1988):  22,000.  Annual growth rate
(1992):  2.1%.  Ethnic groups:  Predominantly Micronesian, with
some Polynesian.  Religions:  48% Roman Catholic, 45% Protestant
(Congregational), some Seventh-day Adventist and Baha'i.
Languages:  English (official), Gilbertese.  Education (1985):
Compulsory through age 11.  Literacy--90%.  Health (1990):
Infant mortality rate--99/1,000.  Life expectancy--52 yrs. male,
56 yrs. female.  Work force:  7,800.


Government
Type:  Republic.  Independence:  July 12, 1979, from the United
Kingdom; formerly Gilbert Islands.  Constitution:  July 12, 1979.

Branches:  Executive--president, vice president, cabinet.
Legislative--unicameral house of assembly (Maneaba Ni
Maungatabu).  Judicial--court of appeal, high court.

Administrative divisions:  Three units--Gilbert Islands, Line
Islands, Phoenix Islands.  Political parties:  Gilbertese
National Party; Christian Democratic Party.  Suffrage:  Universal
at 18.

Flag:  Upper half red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a
yellow rising sun; lower half blue with three wavy bands.


Economy
GNP (1992 est.):  $36.8 million.  Per capita GNP (1992 est.):
$525.

Natural resources:  Fish.  Agriculture:  30% of GDP (including
fishing); copra and fish make up 95% of exports; subsistence
farming predominates; food crops--taro, coconuts, bananas,
pandanus, papayas, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables.

Industry:  fishing, handicrafts.

Trade (est.): Exports--$6 million:  fish 55%, copra 42%.
Principal partners--EC, Marshall Islands, U.S., American Samoa.
Imports (1990 est.)--$27 million:  foodstuffs, fuel,
transportation equipment.  Principal partners--Australia, Japan,
New Zealand, United Kingdom, U.S.

Exchange rate  (1992):  U.S.$0.70= Aus$1.


PEOPLE
Kiribatians mostly live in villages with populations between 50
and 3,000 on the outer islands.  Most houses are made of
materials obtained from coconut and pandanus trees.

Due to frequent droughts and the lack of large crops, the
islanders have found it necessary to turn to the sea for
livelihood.  Most are outrigger sailors and fishers.  Copra
plantations serve as a second source of employment.  In recent
years, large numbers of Kiribatians have moved to the more urban
island capital of Tarawa.

To increase the opportunities of the islanders, the government
has placed greater emphasis on education.  Primary education is
free and compulsory for the first six years.  Mission schools are
slowly being absorbed into the government primary school system.
Higher education is expanding; students may seek technical,
teacher, or marine training or study in other countries (usually
in Fiji).


HISTORY
Kiribatians are Micronesians, but recent archeological evidence
indicates that the islands were originally settled by
Austronesians thousands of years ago.  Around the 14th century
A.D., the islands were invaded by Fijians and Tongans.
Intermarriage led to a population reasonably homogeneous in
appearance and traditions.

The first recorded European encounter with Kiribati was by the
Spanish explorer Quiros in 1606.  By the 1820s, all of the
islands had been charted.  At that time, the Russian hydrographer
A.I. Krusenstern gave the group the name Gilbert Islands.  Until
about 1870, many British and American whaling vessels sought
sperm whales in Gilbertese waters.  Starting in 1850, trading
vessels passed through, seeking first coconut oil and then copra.
In the 1860s, "black- birders" (slave ships) carried off
islanders to work on plantations in Peru and, later, in Fiji,
Tahiti, Hawaii, and Australia.  Not only did this practice reduce
the number of men on the islands, it also introduced European
diseases, such as measles, against which the islanders had little
resistance.  With the people's consent, the Ellice groups (now
Tuvalu) and the Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in
1892, in the hope of eradicating slave raids and incessant tribal
warfare.

In 1900, phosphate was discovered on Ocean Island.  A surge of
British interest in the area resulted, and more islands were
placed under the British protectorate.  Phosphate was the
predominant source of income for Kiribati until 1979, when
deposits were exhausted.

Japan seized the islands in 1941.  On November 21, 1943, American
forces launched their first penetration of Japan's ring of island
defenses by attacking the Tarawa islet of Betio.  Tarawa Atoll
was the setting for one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific
and was a major turning point in the war for the Allies.

One of the most important post-war moves in the main islands was
the strengthening of the cooperatives.  New rules made it
unprofitable for overseas trading firms to reestablish
themselves.  Kiribatians gained a stronger voice in the affairs
of the colony during the 1950s and 1960s, when an advisory
council and, later, a house of representatives with powers of
recommendation were created.  In 1974, the colony moved forward
to a ministerial form of government.  In 1975, the Ellice Islands
seceded from the colony and became the independent nation of
Tuvalu.  On July 12, 1979, Kiribati obtained its own independence
from the United Kingdom and became a republic within the
Commonwealth.


GOVERNMENT
Kiribati's constitution, promulgated July 12, 1979, provides for
free and open elections.  The executive branch consists of a
president, a vice president, and a cabinet.  Under the
constitution, the president, nominated from among the elected
members of the House of Assembly, is limited to three four-year
terms.  The president does not represent a political party.  The
cabinet is composed of the president, vice president, and no more
than eight members of the House of Assembly (appointed by the
president).

The legislative branch is the unicameral House of Assembly
(Maneaba Ni Maungatabu).  The legislature consists of 35 elected
members, including a representative of the Banaban (Ocean
Islanders) people and the attorney-general as an ex-officio
member.

The constitutional provisions governing the administration of
justice are similar to those in other former British possessions
in that the judiciary is free from governmental interference.
The judicial branch is made up of the high court and the court of
appeal.  The presiding judges are appointed by the president.

Local government is through island councils with elected members.
Local affairs are handled in a manner similar to town meetings in
colonial America.  Island councils make their own estimates of
revenue and expenditure and are generally free of central
government controls.


Principal Government Officials
President and Minister of Foreign Affairs--Hon. Teatao Teannaki
V.P./Minister of Finance and Economic Planning--Taomati T. Iuta


POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Traditionally, Kiribati had no formally organized parties.
Instead, ad hoc opposition groups tended to coalesce around
specific issues.  Today, the only recognizable parties are the
Gilbertese National Party and the Christian Democratic Party.
There is universal suffrage at 18.

A major source of conflict has been the protracted bid by the
residents of Banaban Island to secede and have their island
placed under the protection of Fiji.  The government's attempts
to placate the Banabans include specific provisions in the
constitution, such as giving them a seat in the house of assembly
and returning to them land on Banaban acquired by the government
for phosphate mining.


ECONOMY
Kiribati's economy is very small and has fluctuated widely in
recent years.  The country has few natural resources.  Phosphate
deposits had already been  exhausted by the time of independence
in 1979.  Most people are engaged in subsistence agriculture but
are not self-sufficient in food.  In the 12 years since
independence, the government has focused on private sector
involvement in development, extensive use of joint ventures, and
a stable partnership with business.

The islands' isolation and meager resources, including poor soil
and limited arable land, severely limit prospects for economic
development.  Moreover, development efforts are hampered by
transportation difficulties, overcrowding on Tarawa and shortages
of trained workers and management.

Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports
(95%).  Real GDP declined about 8% in 1987, as the fish catch
fell by 75% from 1986 levels, and copra production was hampered
by repeated rains.  Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real
GDP growing by 17%.  The upturn in economic growth came from an
increase in copra production and a good fish catch.  Following
the strong surge in output in 1988, GDP increased 1% in 1989 and
1990.

Efforts are being made to diversify the economy, primarily
through fisheries projects and tourism.  The creation of the
200-mile economic and fisheries zone has given islanders hopes of
developing their marine resources to a point where fish could be
the country's main source of revenue through export earnings and
licensing fees paid by fishing nations like Japan and the United
States.  A regional survey of fish resources by the South Pacific
Commission has revealed large stocks of tuna in Kiribatian
waters.


FOREIGN RELATIONS
Kiribati maintains cordial relations with most countries and has
close relations with its Pacific neighbors, the United Kingdom,
and Japan; the latter two provide the majority of the country's
foreign aid.  Taiwan and Japan also have specified-period
licenses to fish in Kiribati's waters.


U.S.-KIRIBATI RELATIONS
In September 1979, a treaty of friendship was signed between the
Republic of Kiribati and the United States.  In 1983 the U.S.
Senate approved recognition of Kiribati's sovereignty over the
Line and Phoenix island groups.

The United States has no consular or diplomatic offices in
Kiribati.  Officers of the American embassy in Suva, Fiji, are
concurrently accredited to Kiribati and make periodic visits.

There is little trade between the United States and Kiribati.
The U.S. Agency for International Development administers a
modest regional aid program that benefits Kiribati.  Peace Corps
volunteers teach and provide technical assistance throughout
Kiribati.


Principal U.S. Officials
Charge d' affairs:  Michael W. Marine
Public Affairs Officer--Charla Hatton
Military Attache:  Lt. Col. Kip Naugle (USMC)
Consul--Linda Brown
Peace Corps Co-Directors:  David and Paulette Hassel

The Peace Corps co-directors are resident in Kiribati, but all
other officials are in Suva, Fiji.  The U.S. embassy at Suva,
Fiji, is located at 31 Loftus Street (P.O. Box 218), Suva (tel.
314-466).


Travel Notes
Customs:  A passport and visa are required for entry and exit. In
addition,  travelers must have a ticket to leave with confirmed
onward reservations and necessary documentation to depart to a
third country.

Climate and clothing:  Temperatures remain constant at  80OF.
Modest light-weight casual clothing, preferably cotton, is
recommended.  During the winter months, westerly gales bring rain
and sticky discomfort.

Health:  Drink only bottled or boiled water.  Cholera and
yellow-fever inoculations are required.


Published by the United States Department of State  Bureau of
Public Affairs  Office of  Public Communication  Washington, DC
Managing Editor: Peter Knecht.

Department of State Publication 10104.  January 1994  Background
Notes Series

Contents of this publication are not copyrighted unless
indicated.  If not copyrighted, the material may be reproduced
without consent; citation of the publication as the source is
appreciated.  Permission to reproduce any copyrighted material
(including photos and graphics) must be obtained from the
original source.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC  20402..