Kiribati

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Map of Kiribati
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Map of Kiribati

Kiribati (pronounced "KiriBASS") is a country in the Pacific Ocean. It has 33 atolls, groups of tiny islands. The country is located near the equator. Its capital is South Tarawa, found on the Tarawa atoll.

Kiribati used to be called the Gilbert Islands. In 1892, the Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate with the Ellice Islands (nowadays known as Tuvalu), together called Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Kiribati became an independent republic in 1979.

Kiribati is one of the poorest nations in the Pacific Ocean. It has few natural resources. Tourism is an important industry.

Kiribati signed a "Treaty of Friendship and Territorial Sovereignty" (also called the "Treaty of Tarawa") with the United States in 1979. The USA gave up its claims to the islands of Canton, Enderbury, Hull, Birnie, Gardner, Phoenix, Sydney, McKean, Christmas, Caroline, Starbuck, Malden, Flint, and Vostok in that treaty. [1]

The official languages of Kiribati are English and Gilbertese.


Countries and territories of Oceania
Australia : Australia · Coral Sea Islands · Norfolk Island
Melanesia : East Timor · Fiji · Maluku Islands & Western New Guinea (part of Indonesia) · New Caledonia · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu
Micronesia : Guam · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Northern Mariana Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · Palau
Polynesia : American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Hawaii · New Zealand · Niue · Pitcairn · Samoa · Tokelau · Tonga · Tuvalu · Wallis and Futuna