Kiribati - Geography

Kiribati (pronounced ‘Kirabas’) spreads across the central Pacific, intersected by the equator and formerly the International Date Line, with most other Commonwealth Pacific island countries lying to its south. Its 33 islands are scattered across 5.2 million sq km of ocean. There are three groups of islands: 17 Gilbert Islands (including Banaba), eight Line Islands and eight Phoenix Islands. The north/south extent is 2,050km. Kiritimati (formerly Christmas Island) is the world’s biggest coral atoll (388 sq km). Kiritimati in the east is about 3,780km from Banaba (formerly Ocean Island) in the west.

Time:GMT plus 12hr except for Kanton Island and Enderbury Islands (GMT plus 13hr – on the same day) and Kiritimati (GMT plus 14hr).

Area:Total land area 811 sq km.

Main towns:The main centre and capital is Tarawa, comprising Bairiki (Tarawa South, pop. 46,000 in 2006), Bonriki (Tarawa South, 3,800) and Buariki (Tarawa North, 2,800). Government offices are in Tarawa South at Betio, Bairiki and Bikenibeu. For administrative purposes, the islands are divided into districts, each with its main or headquarters island. These are as follows (headquarters islands in brackets): Banaba (Banaba), Northern Kiribati (Butaritari, pop. 2,500 in 2006), Central Kiribati (Abemama), Southern Kiribati (Tabiteuea), South-eastern Kiribati (Beru), Line Islands (Kiritimati), Phoenix Islands (Kanton).

Topography:Kiribati is composed of coral atolls on a submerged volcanic chain, nowhere rising higher than 2m above sea level, except for Banaba, a coral outcrop, which rises to 80m. Most islands have coastal lagoons. Some lagoons are large (up to 80km long), and bounded to the east by narrow strips of land. There are no hills or streams. The UN’s 1989 report on the ‘greenhouse effect’ listed Kiribati as an endangered country in the event of a rise in sea level during the 21st century.

In February 2005, 2.8m waves breached sea walls, devastating some villages, destroying farmland and contaminating freshwater wells.

Climate:Varies from maritime equatorial (central islands) to tropical in the north and south. There is little temperature variation: from an average 29°C in the southern Gilberts to 27°C in the Line Islands, dropping by less than 1°C in the coolest months. Humidity is constant at 70–90%. North-west trade winds blow between March and October. From November to April, there are occasional heavy rains, and strong to gale force winds, though Kiribati is outside the cyclone belt. Rainfall patterns vary considerably from year to year; drought is a constant danger.

In 1997, Kiritimati was devastated by El Niño, which, according to scientists studying the island, brought heavy rainfall, a half-metre rise in sea level and extensive flooding. Some 40% of the coral was killed and the 14 million bird population, reputed to be the world’s richest, deserted the island.

Environment:The most significant environmental issues are limited natural freshwater resources, and heavy pollution of the south Tarawa lagoon, due to population growth around the lagoon and traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping.

Vegetation:Poor soil (composed of coral sand and rock fragments) limits vegetation-types and agricultural potential. Coconuts cover most islands, except Banaba and some islands in the Phoenix and Line groups. Forest covers about 40% of the land area.

Wildlife:Many varieties of sea birds visit the islands, including terns, shearwaters and skuas.

Transport: There are some 655km of all-weather roads in urban Tarawa and Kiritimati. Causeways and bridges link north and south Tarawa, plus several other islands. Bairiki and Bikenibeu in south Tarawa are connected by causeways. Betio, the port area 3km west of Bairiki, is connected to Bairiki by a causeway. There are about 3,000 vehicles, nearly 75% of them motor cycles.

The principal port is at Betio Islet, Tarawa. International airports are at Bonriki on Tarawa and at Kiritimati, and all inhabited islands have airports. Air Kiribati, the national airline, operates scheduled services to nearly all the country’s outer islands, linking them with Tarawa.