Kiribati
Oceania ยท Capital: South Tarawa
How it is run: Kiribati is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Kiribati is home to 136,488 people in Micronesia, where people speak English, Gilbertese.
Numbers that tell a story ๐ข
๐ฅ People
136,488 people
That is about 17 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
๐บ๏ธ Land
811 kmยฒ
About the size of a small US state such as Vermont or New Hampshire.
๐๏ธ How crowded
About 168 people per square kilometre โ busy towns with countryside in between.
๐ Size in its region
11th most people in Oceania
10th largest by land in Oceania.
๐ฃ๏ธ Official languages
English, Gilbertese
More than one language is used for official business.
๐ฐ Money
Australian dollar ($), Kiribati dollar ($)
More than one currency is used here.
Life here today ๐ฉบ
These come from World Bank open data โ the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
โค๏ธ How long people live
66.6 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
๐ผ Money made per person each year
about US$2,559
A lower-income country: money for schools, clinics and roads has to stretch a very long way.
๐ข Living in cities
63.4% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
๐ Kids under 15
34.4% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details ๐งญ
๐ Phone code
+686
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
๐ Websites end in
.ki
๐ง People here are called
I-Kiribati
๐ท๏ธ Name at home
Kiribati
Also written: Republic of Kiribati, Ribaberiki Kiribati.
๐ Coast or inland
Has a coastline
๐๏ธ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders ๐ค
Kiribati has no land borders at all. It is surrounded by water, so boats and planes are the way in and out.
Say its name around the world ๐ฃ๏ธ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Kiribati
French
Kiribati
Arabic
ููุฑูุจุงุชู
Chinese
ๅบ้ๅทดๆฏ
Japanese
ใญใชใใน
Russian
ะะธัะธะฑะฐัะธ
Portuguese
Kiribati
German
Kiribati
Put it in perspective ๐
- Australia โ the most populated country in Oceania โ has about 202.3ร as many people as Kiribati.
- All of Kiribati would fit inside one large national park in many other countries.
- If everyone in Kiribati lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 68 km.
Fast facts ๐ง
Fact of the day: Kiribati is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly โ the same as every other member, big or small.
๐ท๏ธ Official name
Independent and Sovereign Republic of Kiribati
๐๏ธ Capital
South Tarawa
๐ Region
Oceania ยท Micronesia
๐ค Country code
KI
๐๏ธ UN status
UN member state
๐ฉ Independence
Independent country
More about Kiribati ๐
๐งญ Where on the map
1.4ยฐ N, 173.0ยฐ E
๐ Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
๐ฐ๏ธ Clock check
Roughly UTC+12 โ when it is noon in London it is about 00:00 in South Tarawa.
- Kiribati lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Kiribati shares its part of the world with Northern Mariana Islands. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Kiribati is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- ๐ฐ๐ฎ is the flag of Kiribati. Its country code โ the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics โ is KI.
- The capital of Kiribati is South Tarawa โ that's where the country's big decisions get made.
Countries nearby ๐ค
Talk about it ๐ฌ
- Kiribati has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Kiribati can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Kiribati spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz ๐งช
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Kiribati?
South Tarawa
Which money do people spend in Kiribati?
Australian dollar ($), Kiribati dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with Kiribati?
None โ no land neighbours at all.
Roughly how many people live in Kiribati?
136,488 people
Keep researching ๐
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further โ and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here โ kid-friendly encyclopedias ๐
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ๐๏ธ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy ๐ฐ
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card ๐ซ
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians โ all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.