According to ehistorylib, in 2005, Kiribati had a population of around 109,000 people and a GDP of $320 million, making it one of the smaller economies in the Pacific Islands. The economy was largely reliant on fishing and tourism, with the main exports being tuna, copra and seaweed. Unemployment rates were quite low at around 2%, while poverty levels remained quite high with an estimated 36% of the population living below the poverty line.
Foreign relations in 2005 were generally positive with Kiribati being a member of various international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). In addition, it maintained diplomatic ties with many countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. It was also an important ally to Australia and had close trade ties to Fiji and other Pacific Island countries.
Politically, Kiribati was a semi-presidential republic during this time period with executive power vested in both the President who had absolute authority over foreign policy decisions and could veto any legislation passed by Parliament. Furthermore, there were three branches of government: Executive (President), Legislative (Parliament) and Judicial (Supreme Court). These branches worked together to ensure that laws were properly enforced throughout the country.
Yearbook 2005
Kiribati. In May, the country received a brief visit from Taiwan’s President Chen Shuibian, who made a tour of the region. The opposition in Kiribati is still against the government’s 2003 decision to recognize Taiwan and sever diplomatic relations with China. Opposition leader Harry Tong, brother of President Anote Tong, planned a demonstration outside the airport when Chen arrived, but was not given permission by police. A demonstration in support of Taiwan’s president was also denied police permission.
According to countryaah, Tarawa Atoll is the capital and one of the major cities within the country of Kiribati. The recognition of Taiwan has meant that aid from there has begun to flow into Kiribati. In August, the two islands signed an agreement on medical Taiwanese assistance. This meant support for the training of health care workers and improved health care in Kiribati.
- Also see abbreviationfinder.org for how the acronym KI stands for the country of Kiribati and other meanings of this two-letter abbreviation.
In July, Australia gave Kiribati the equivalent of US $ 1.5 million to the country’s program to reduce vulnerability to rising sea levels. The so-called adaptation program (The Kiribati Adaptation Program) is a collaboration between Kiribati Government, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program UNDP. Australian support would go to study the lack of drinking water around the capital Tarawa.
For eight weeks, two Kiribati fishermen floated around in their small boat in the Pacific before finally being rescued by a Taiwanese ship. The men, who lost their orientation after a storm, were found outside Papua New Guinea. They had survived by eating raw fish and drinking rainwater.
Encyclopedia online
Kiribati State of Oceania, in the central-western Pacific, comprising 33 coral islands and atolls scattered in an oceanic belt that extends for over 20 ° longitude: the Gilbert Islands, the Equatorial Sporades (Line Islands) and the Phoenix Islands (Phoenix Islands). The capital, Tarawa, is located on the atoll of the same name. The archipelago straddles the equator and has the particularity of being crossed by the date line.
Population
The rate of population increase (consisting of Micronesians in the Gilberts and Polynesians in the other islands) is high (2.2%, according to a 2009 estimate), but the very isolated position of the country, the lack of communication, poverty and the scarcity of agricultural land and overpopulation determine significant migratory flows. The population is unevenly distributed and the islands belonging to the Gilbert group are the most populated.
The prevalent religion is Christian, both Catholic (54.4%) and Protestant (38%).
