PRAYING FOR THE WORLD ONE COUNTRY AT A TIME Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is provided “God so loved the world…” shouldn’t we? by Australia and New Zealand.

Kiribati The eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely Information compiled by Ai Elgersma populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most February 16, 2020 Source: CIA World Factbook densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong.

Kiribati joined the UN in 1999 and has been an active participant in international efforts to combat climate change. It is a party to a wide range of international agreements, such as Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection and Whaling.

Economy: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Island countries. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted by the time of independence from the United Kingdom in 1979. Earnings from fishing licenses and seafarer remittances are important sources of income. Although the number of seafarers CAPITAL: Tarawa employed declined due to changes in global shipping demands, remittances are expected to improve with more overseas temporary LOCATION: Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral and seasonal work opportunities for Kiribati nationals. Kiribati is island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital dependent on foreign aid, which was estimated to have contributed Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The three over 32.7% in 2016 to the government’s finances. archipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India Religion: Roman Catholic 57.3%, Kiribati Uniting Church 31.3%, Population: 111,796 Mormon 5.3%, Baha'i 2.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.9%, other 2.1% Overview: Kiribati includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, and Phoenix Islands - dispersed over about 3.5 million sq km. Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all Prayers of Thanksgiving and petition: four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western). The As an island country, Kiribati is prone to natural disaster. Typhoons Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in can occur any time, but usually November to March. The low level of 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in some of the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level. 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. Kiribati is facing heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and to overcrowding mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The latrines and open-pit dumping. The potential for water shortages is US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and high. Coastal erosion is also an environment concern. Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.