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Asia and Oceania
Kiribati |
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Last reviewed: 23 September 2009 |
Country information
Area: 811 sq km
Population: 99,000, (source: UN ESCAP survey 2007)
Capital city: Tarawa
People: Predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian
Languages: English (official), I-Kiribati
Religions: Roman Catholic 54%, Protestant (Congregational) 30%, some Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church of God
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
Major political parties: Boutokaan Te Koaua Party, Maneaban Te Mauri Party; National Progressive Party, Mauri Kiribati Pati
Government: Unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats: 44 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member- the attorney general, one appointed to represent Banaba; 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 99,000 [UN ESCAP survey 2007] with an annual population growth rate of 2.235% and an average population density of 123per square kilometre. Most of the population lives in the Gilberts. The people are predominantly Micronesian, and nearly all are Christian, divided between Protestant and Catholic. Collectively, the people are called I-Kiribati.
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. . Kiribati has a young population, with a median age of 20.7 years; 34.9% of the population is under 15 years of age and only 5 % over 64 years. The sex ratio was 97 males to 100 females in 2006.
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. In 2005, life expectancy at birth was estimated at 58.9 for males and 63.1 for females. (source: WHO).
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.