Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean. The country has a limited population and is facing critical issue regarding its existence due to climate change. With these 41 facts about Kiribati, let’s learn more about its people, climate, culture, history, independence and much more…

#1. The locals of Kiribati are called I-Kiribati. They pronounce ‘ti’ as ‘s’. Therefore, they pronounce ‘Kiribati’ as ‘Kiribas’.

#2. Kiribati became a full member of the United Nations in 1999. The country is also a member of the IMF, the World Bank and the Commonwealth of Nations.

#3. Kiribati is roughly the four-time of Washington, DC.

#4. The Australian dollar is the national currency of Kiribati.

#5. Kiribati’s capital city, Tarawa, itself is an island. The capital lies halfway between Hawaii and Australia.

#6. Kiribati is made up of 33 coral islands divided among three groups of islands: the Line Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Gilbert Islands. Most of these islands are coral atolls. According to Britannica – “Atolls form when corals build a colony, or reef, around the top of a volcanic island. Eventually, the reef reaches the surface of the water and becomes land.”

#7. Of the 33 islands of Kiribati, 21 are inhabited. The Banaba Island in the Gilbert Islands is a raised limestone island while all of the remaining 32 islands are atolls meaning they are ring shaped with central lagoons.

#8. Cultivation of crops on the island nation is very difficult due to poor soil and variation in rainfalls. However, there is plenty of seafood available in the island country.

#9. Kiribati is susceptible to experience a rise in sea level due to global warming and such a rise in the water level of the sea will cause contamination of fresh water with salt water making it unsuitable for drinking. Moreover, the island will become uninhabitable.

#10. There is a lot of solid waste which is produced in the country and sadly the country does not have a suitable waste disposal or waste management system in place to take care of this issue.