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. Ocean Island, producer of phosphates until it was mined out in 1981, is also included in the 2 million square miles of ocean. Most of the islands of Kiribati are low-lying coral atolls built on a submerged volcanic chain and encircled by reefs.
Population
105,432 (growth rate: 2.2%); birth rate: 30.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 47.3/1000; life expectancy: 62.1; density per sq mi: 381
Land Area
313 sq mi (811 sq km)
Monetary unit
Australian dollar Language
English (official), I-Kiribati (Gilbertese)
Ethnicity Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2%
Religion Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God (1999)
Transportation Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 670 km (1999 est.); paved: n.a.; unpaved: n.a. Waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands. Ports and harbors: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton. Airports: 20 (2002).
