Kiribati

Quick Facts

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Capital

Tarawa

Population

99,000

Government

Republic

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Protestant)

Languages

Kiribati, English

Calling Code

+686

Nationality

I-Kiribati

Introduction

Kiribati (pronounced kee-ree-bus) is a collection of coral atolls lying just east of the date line and just south of the equator. While Western hands have had their sphere of influence, Kiribati is yet to be overrun by tourists and has managed to maintain traditional aspects of its culture. The result is a unique holiday for those few travellers who head to Kiribati. This is certainly not the place to expect a brilliant package tour: part of the adventure of Kiribati is that you have to get out there and arrange your own activities. But with a wealth of WWII relics dotting the islands and an abundance of aquatic beauty to enjoy, it shouldn't be too hard finding things to do.

Islands

Kiribati can be divided into three groups of islands.

• Gilbert Islands comprises 16 atolls
• Phoenix Islands comprises 8 atolls and coral islands roughly 1,800 km southeast of the Gilberts.
• Line Islands comprises 8 atolls and a reef roughly 3,300 km east of the Gilberts.

Another island not included in those groups is Banaba, an isolated island between Nauru and Gilbert Islands.

Towns

• South Tarawa, the capital, located on Tarawa Atoll

Getting there

Plane

Both Tarawa and Christmas Island are served by international flights. Tarawa is served by Our Airline (Air Nauru) from Nauru.
Air Pacific flies to Christmas Island from both Nadi (Fiji) as Honolulu on the Hawaiian Islands.