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Asia and Oceania
Kiribati |
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Last reviewed: 07 February 2012 |
Country information
Area: 811 sq km
Population: 103,500 (2010 Kiribati Census)
Capital city: Tarawa
People: Predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian. Native people of Kiribati are called I-Kiribati.
Languages: English (official although not widely spoken outside of Tarawa) and Kiribati
Religions: Roman Catholic 54%, Protestant (Congregational) 30%, Other 16% (Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, Church of God)
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
Major political parties: Boutokaan Te Koaua Party (Pillars of Truth), Maneaban Te Mauri Partyand Tabomoa Party.
Government: Unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (members are elected by popular vote, including the attorney general, who serves as an ex-officio member anda representative of the Banaba people (former Ocean Island); members serve four-year terms)
Head of State, President, Foreign & Immigration Minister: Anote Tong
Membership of international groups/ organisations: Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Commonwealth, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), International Development Association, International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Intelsat) (nonsignatory user), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement (SPARTECA), Pacific Community (SPC), South Pacific Forum (SPF), United Nations (UN), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Health Organisation (WHO), Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
People
Kiribati has an estimated population of 103,500 [2010 Kiribati Census]. Due to sea water rises many of the outer islands are now uninhabitable resulting in most of the population living on South Tarawas. The people are predominantly Micronesian, and nearly all are Christian, divided between Protestant and Catholic. Collectively, the people are called I-Kiribat.
Health
Health care facilities in Kiribati are adequate for routine medical care, but extremely limited in availability and quality. Serious medical conditions requiring hospitalization or evacuation may cost thousands of dollars. All water should be regarded as a potential health risk and only water that is bottled, boiled or otherwise sterilized should be drunk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit should be peeled before it is eaten.
There has been a steady improvement in health indicators over the last decade, but people in Kiribati still have a shorter life span than those in most other Pacific islands. Life expectancy at birth is estimated at 57 for males and 63 for females.
In 2006, 65.0% of the population had access to an improved water source. South Tarawa and Kiritimati Island have public water supply infrastructures, with over 3500 households in South Tarawa and 400 in Kiribati connected to a reticulated, treated water system. The remaining population rely on rainwater supplies and well-water. The protection of the well-water and the water sources from pollution, mainly from nearby sanitation systems, is a constant public health concern.