Christianity is the major religion in Kiribati, having been introduced by missionaries in the 19th century.
Agriculture: copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish.
Check our encyclopedia for a gloss on thousands of topics from biographies to the table of elements.Learn more about the mythic conflict between the Argives and the Trojans.Learn about one of the world's oldest and most popular religions.Kiribati, formerly the Gilbert Islands, consists of three widely separated main groups of southwest Pacific islands: the Gilberts on the equator, the Phoenix Islands to the east, and the Line Islands farther east.
English, which is the official language, is also widely spoken, especially on Tarawa.
The legislation followed the launching of Kiribati's first successful nongovernment-run newspaper. Arable land: 2.47%. Inflation: 0.2%.
Anote Tong of the opposition party, Boutokaan Te Koaua, was elected president in 2003.
The move, which fulfilled one of President Tito's campaign promises, was intended to enable Kiribati to become the first country to see the dawn on Jan. 1, 2000, and welcome the new millennium—an event of significance for tourism.
Author of The largest atoll (and one of the largest in the world) is The people are Micronesian, and the vast majority speak Gilbertese (or I-Kiribati). The Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands (now Tuvalu) were separated in 1975 and granted internal self-government by Britain. Therefore, they pronounce ‘Kiribati’ as... 2. A rise in temperatures, drought, and the attendant depletion of freshwater have put a strain on the economy and the well-being of residents.As part of a plan for "migration with dignity," President Tong finalized the purchase of 6,000 acres on the Fiji island of Vanua Levu for more than $8 million during the summer of 2014.Test your knowledge with Infoplease trivia and quizzes. Kiribati is considered one of the least developed countries in the world.
New quizzes added regularly.Get a daily dose of fun facts including birthdays, historical events, and more.Stay up to date on some of the important events happening in the world today.Infoplease knows the value of having sources you can trust. On 1 January 1995 Kiribati moved the International Date Lineto include its easternmost islands … Kiribati became independent on July 12, 1979.Kiribati's 1995 act of moving the international date line far to the east, so that it encompassed Kiribati's Line Islands group, courted controversy. About the 14th century ce the southern islands received an influx of Samoans, and soon thereafter the islanders adopted a gerontocratic style of government (i.e., based on rule by elders). Tarawa was the site of one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. Marine Corps history when marines landed in Nov. 1943 to dislodge the Japanese defenders.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.A few of the islands are compact with fringing reefs, but most are atolls.
Kiribati became a full member of the United Nations in 1999. Real growth rate: 2.9%. There are small minorities of Mormon and For many years the population of most islands has remained fairly static because of migration to the rapidly growing urban centres of South Primary education is compulsory, and selected pupils attend government- or church-run secondary schools. Learn more about the world with our collection of regional and country maps.Brush up on your geography and finally learn what countries are in Eastern Europe with our maps.Not sure about the geography of the middle east?
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The locals of Kiribati are called I-Kiribati. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. 1.
Kiribati is home to 111,796 residents (July 2020 est.)