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Chapters
0:26 Christmas Islands
1:01 Tarawa
1:36 Tabuaeran
2:08 World War II Battle Sights
2:34 Kiribati Parliament
2:58 Giant's Footprints
3:34 Copra Factory
4:21 Kuria Island
4:52 Outer Gilbert Islands
5:24 Butaritari

#Kiribati officially the Republic of Kiribati #Gilbertese is an island country in #Oceania in the central #Pacific_Ocean. The permanent population is over 119,000 (2020), more than half of whom live on #Tarawa_atoll. The state comprises #32_atolls and one remote raised coral island, Banaba. There is a total land area of 811 square kilometres (313 square miles) dispersed over 3.5 million km2 (1.4 million sq mi) of ocean.

It includes three major island groups - #Gilbert_Islands, #Line_Islands, and #Phoenix_Islands.
Formerly part of the #British_Gilbert and #Ellice_Islands Colony, the #Ellice_Islands became the independent nation of #Tuvalu in 1978, the Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati.

Their spread straddles the #equator and the #180th meridian, although the International Date Line goes around Kiribati and swings far to the east, almost reaching the 150° W meridian. This brings Kiribati's easternmost islands, the #southern_Line_Islands south of #Hawaii, into the same day as the #Gilbert_Islands and places them in the most advanced time zone on Earth: UTC+14. Kiribati is the only country in the world to be situated in all four #cardinal_hemispheres.

Kiribati gained its independence from the United Kingdom, becoming a sovereign state in 1979. The capital, #South_Tarawa, now the most populated area, consists of a number of islets, connected by a series of causeways. These comprise about half the area of #Tarawa_atoll. Prior to its independence, the country had exported phosphate; however, those mines are no longer viable with fisheries and export of copra driving much of the economy. Kiribati is one of the least developed countries in the world and is highly dependent on international aid for its economy.

Kiribati is a member of the #Pacific_Community#(SPC_#_Commonwealth of Nations, the #IMF, the World Bank, the #OACPS and became a full member of the #UnitedNations in 1999. As an island nation, the islands are very vulnerable to climate change and addressing climate change has been a central part of its international policy, as a member of the #Alliance_of_Small_Island_States.

The capital and government centres are at #Ambo,#Bairiki, and #Betio, all islets of South Tarawa in the northern Gilberts. Kiribati and #Tuvalu were formerly joined as the Gilbert and #Ellice Islands Colony. The name Kiribati is the local rendition of Gilberts in the #Gilbertese, or I-Kiribati, language, which has 13 sounds; ti is pronounced /s/ or like the word see—thus Kiribati, pronounced “Ki-ri-bas
A few of the islands are compact with fringing reefs, but most are atolls.

The largest #atoll(and one of the largest in the world) is #Kiritimati (Christmas) #Atoll in the #Line _group, which has a land area of 150 square miles (388 square km) and accounts for almost half of the country’s total area. Kiritimati was used for U.S. and British nuclear weapons testing in the 1960s; it now has a large #coconut_plantation and fish farms as well as several satellite telemetry stations. #Banaba reaches 285 feet (87 metres) above sea level, the highest point in Kiribati. Its rich layer of #phosphate was exhausted by mining from 1900 to 1979, and it is now sparsely inhabited.

#Taneti_Maamau of the Tobwaan_Kiribati_Party (TKP) was reelected president in June 2020, winning decisively over #Banuera_Berina of the #Kiribati_Moa_Party (KMP) in a free and fair vote. The issue of recognition of the Beijing-based Chinese government versus the government of Taiwan dominated the race, with #pro-Beijing #Maamau prevailing over pro-Taiwan challenger #Berina, who had opposed the government’s 2019 move to end diplomatic relations with Taiwan and switch recognition to #China.
#Tarawa Atoll: The capital of Kiribati, Tarawa is home to a number of historical sites, including the World War II memorials at the U.S. Tarawa Memorial Cemetery and the Japanese Tarawa Memorial.

#Tabiteuea: Located in the southern Gilbert Islands, Tabiteuea is known for its white sandy beaches and rich marine life. It is also home to the ancient stone ruins of the Tabiteuea Fort, which was once used by the island's ancient settlers as a defensive structure.

#Betio: Located on the island of Tarawa, Betio is known for its lively market, which features a wide variety of local crafts, food, and other products.

# Kiritimati (Christmas Island): Located in the Line Islands, Kiritimati is known for its stunning white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. It is also home to a number of bird species, including the rare Christmas Island frigatebird.

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