Geography of Kiribati - Statistics

Statistics

Location
Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country
Geographic coordinates
1°25′N 173°00′E / 1.417°N 173°E / 1.417; 173
Map references
Oceania
Area
  • Total: 771 km2 (298 sq mi)
  • Land: 771 km2
  • Water: none
  • Note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
Land boundaries
none
Coastline
1,143 km (710 mi)
Maritime claims
  • Exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi)
  • Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi)
Climate
Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain
Mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Elevation extremes
  • Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  • Highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m (266 ft)
Natural resources
Phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Land use
  • Arable land: 0%
  • Permanent crops: 51%
  • Permanent pastures: 0%
  • Forests and woodland: 3%
  • Other: 46% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land
NA
Natural hazards
Typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low-level of some of the islands make them very sensitive to sea-level rise
Environment - current issues
Heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to heavy migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk
Environment - international agreements
  • Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
  • Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements
Geography - note
20 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru.

Read more about this topic:  Geography Of Kiribati

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