The Spirit of Kiribati

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THE SPIRIT OF KIRIBATI

The images of this Web site have been chosen to represent the many facets of life in Kiribati. Individually these images cover many of the interesting features of this fascinating island nation. Collectively these images convey The Spirit of Kiribati.

frigate birds at sunset.

Frigate birds at sunset taken from
a vessel off Christmas (Kiritimati) Island.

Situated in Micronesia in the central Pacific and straddling the equator, Kiribati covers over three and a half million square kilometres of Pacific of which 822 square kilometres are land, made up of 33 low lying coral atolls scattered in three main groups: the Gilberts, the Phoenix and the Line Islands; and has a population of approximately 79,000. A fully independent democratic republic, self-governing since 12th July 1979, Kiribati's seat of government is at Bairiki, one of three urban centres on Tarawa atoll in the Gilberts chain.

With an oceanic climate and a prevailing breeze from the east, Kiribati has temperatures varying between 25 degrees and 35 degrees C. Between December and May westerly winds bring rain.

The main language is I-Kiribati. English is widely understood and spoken, particularly in the urban centres Betio, Bairiki and Bikenibeu on Tarawa Island.

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sunrise sunrise

Sunrises at Christmas Island (Kiritimati), Kiribati.

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The economy is predominantly subsistence with copra and fisheries the main source of foreign exchange earnings. Other major sources of income are from remittances from I-Kiribati seamen working on overseas ship, and the licensing of foreign vessels fishing in the country's Exclusive Zone.

In 1995 the International Date line was officially moved to encompass the eastern-most of Caroline to enable the whole country to operate on the same calendar day, thus Kiribati was the first to witness the dawning of the new millennium over its eastern-most atoll which is being renamed Millennium Island to reflect the occasion.

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