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Home , Gilbert Islands

f rcnch Polyne ia, Gilbert Islands, Guam

French Personnel Scientists and engineers (including , 1971): 112 Physicians (1975): 26, 1 per 2 270 people Tourism {1976) Number of visitors 117 246, gross receipts $ 49 mn Standard ofliving Consumerpriceindex(Papeeteonly,1970 = 100) 1976171.5; National income per person (1976) : A $ 800** = $1 000** = £ 500** growth 1970-769.4 %pa Consumption per person (1975): energy 346 kg coal equivalent, Budget (1976) Balanced at CFP Fr 14000 mn = $161 mn = £89 mn electricity (production) 85* kWh External trade (197 6) Telephones (inc! Tuvalu, Dec 1974): number485, 8 per I 000 people Imports: CFP Fr 25 700 mn = $ 296 mn = £ 164 mn Livestock (000, 1976) Pigs 10*, chickens !54* Exports: CFP Fr 1 911 mn = $22 mn = £12 mn Electrical capacity (1975) 2* megawatts Main imports (1974) Food 20 %, petroleum products 7 %, Hospital beds (including Tuvalu, 1974) 634, 1 per 99 people machinery, motor vehicles, cement, textiles Roads(l976) 640*km =400*mi,density0.74*kmperkm' Main exports (1974) Re-exports (mainly nuclear material) 81 %, Ships (registered, 1977) 2, total of 1 333 gross tons cocnut oi115 %. vanilla 1 % Ports Harbour (), Ocean Island (moorings) Main sources France 53 %, United States 19 % Airports Bonriki (Tarawa), , , , , Main destination France 82 % , Radio sets (Dec 1975) 8 200, 140 per 1 000 people

J>rodu tion, finance and trade Gilbert Islands Gross domestic product 1976 est: A$ 50**mn = $ 60**mn = £ 34**mn Main products (000 t) Agriculture (1976) 74*, copra 11 *, bananas 3*, fish catch 0.7* Other (1975) Electricity (mn kWh) 5*, Location South-west phosphate rock 529 ·-. Comprises 28 main islands in 4 sections: the Transport traffic (including Tuvalu, 1975) Sea Goods loaded 535 000 t, main Gilbert Island group of 16 main islands, unloaded 20 000 t of 8 main islands, Budget (1977) Revenue: A$ 11.77 mn = $ 13.1 mn = £7.5 mn of 3 main islands, and Ocean Island (). Expenditure: A $9.72 mn = $ 10.8 mn = £6.2 mn The divides the Gilbert External trade (1976) and Ocean islands to the west from the Imports: A $10.1 mn = $12.3 mn = £6.8 mn Phoenix and Line Islands to the east Exports: A$ 18.1 mn = $22.2 mn = £ 12.3 mn Land Area 860km' = 330mi', Main imports Food 29%, petroleum products, textiles, metal manufactures of which, Ocean Island 6 km' Main exports Phosphates 95 %. copra 5 % Climate Tropical Main sources' (1974) % of total Main destinations (1974) % of total Weather at Tarawa , 3 m altitude Australia 60 Australia 44 Temperature: hottest month Oct 26-32 oc, coldest July 25-31 °C II New Zealand 42 Rainfall (av monthly) : driest month Nov 58 mm, wettest Dec 317 mm New Zealand 3 United Kingdom 14 Time Hours ahead of Hours behind aJncluding trade of Tuvalu GMT(+) GMT(-) Ocean Island II! Phoenix Islands II Gilbert Islands 12 Line Islands 10 Measures UK (imperial) system, converting to the metric system Monetary unit (A $} = I 00 cents Guam Rate of exchange (1976 av): free$ 1.225 =A $ I, A$ 1.474 = £ I

Summary Location West Pacific Ocean Political UK colony, formerly the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (the Southernmost of the ; Ellice Islands became a separate colony from October!, 1975 as Tuvalu) ; (United States) is about 6 000 km to the east internal self-government was obtained January I, 1977 and full Land Area549km' =212mi' independence is planned. The Ban a bans, people of Ocean Island, wish to Climate Tropical form an independent country associated with Fiji; they have been living on Weather at Sumay, 20m altitude Rambi (Rabi) in the Fiji group since the end of the second world war. The Temperature: hottest months May, June Gilbert Islands are also known as Kingsmill Islands. Territorial member 25- 31 °C, coldest Feb 23- 29 °C of the South Pacific Commission Rainfall (av monthly): driest month Apr 51 mm, Economic The main product has been phosphates obtained by the wettest Aug 376 mm British Phosphate Commission from Ocean Island; the Gilbert Islands Time 10 hours ahead of GMT (summer time, II hours ahead) receive a royalty from these, as do the original inhabitants of Ocean Measures US system Island (Banabans). Revenue from the phosphates is expected to end in Monetary unit US dollar($) = 100 cents 1979 ; the Banabans wish to restore some form of agriculture and a Rate of exchange (1976 av) : $ 1.806 = £ 1 fishing industry to Ocean Island. Other main products in the Gilbe~t groups are coconuts, copra, bananas and fish Summary Political US territory, self-governing; the territory includes a major People, re ources and equipment US naval and air base. Territorial member of South Pacific Commission Population 1960 41 000**, 1970 49 300*, 1976 59 000* Economic Tourism is important, and reduces dependence on military Growth: 1960- 70 1.9* %pa, 1970- 76 3.0* %pa expenditure. Operation as a free port has encouraged some light industry, Density (1976) : 69* people per km' including watch assembly; crude oil refining began in 1970. The main Vital statistics (including Tuvalu, rate per I 000 people, 1971): agricultural export product is copra births 22.3, deaths 6.5 Regions (population in 000, 1968; total of 47 578) People, resources and equipment Gilbert Islands (includes Tarawa) 44.2, Phoenix Islands nil, Line Islands (includes Christmas Island) 1.2, Ocean Island 2.2 Population 1960 67 004, 1970 84 996, 1976 102 000* Town (population in 000, 1973) Tarawa (capital) 17 Growth: 1960- 702.4 % pa, 1970-76 3.1 * %pa Race (1968) Micronesian 94** %, Polynesian 3** %, European I**%, Density(l976): 186* people per km' Mixed!** % Vital statistics (rate per 1 000 people, 1975): births 30.4, deaths 4.2 Language Gilbertese and English Town (population in 000, 1970) Agana (capital) 5 (excluding armed forces) Religion (1976) Roman Catholic 50** %. Protestant 50** % Race (excluding armed forces) Chamorros (Indonesian/Filipino/Spanish) Education ( 1973) Pupils 18 500* *, teachers 420* * and Micronesian Labour force (including Tuvalu, 1968) 13 279; seamen {1975) 1 000*, phosphate workers (1975) 1 !50*

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The Economist, The World in Figures © The Economist Newspaper Limited, England 1978