Map of Kiribati
Kiribati is a country in Oceania with its capital at South Tarawa, home to about 136,488 people across 811 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns and 3 ports recorded for Kiribati in YearMaps.
- Population
- 136,488
- Area
- 811 km²
- Capital
- South Tarawa
- Continent
- Oceania
Interactive Map of Kiribati
Centred on South Tarawa at 1.3382° N, 173.0176° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Kiribati
Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an archipelagic country spanning the Micronesia and Polynesia sub-regions of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. The state comprises 32 atolls and other islands and one remote raised coral island, Banaba. Its total land area is 811 km2 (313 sq mi) dispersed over 3,441,810 km2 (1,328,890 sq mi) of ocean. The spread of the country's islands, from Banaba in the west to Kiritimati in the east, straddles the equator and the 180th meridian. The International Date Line goes around Kiribati and swings far to the east, almost reaching 150°W. This brings Kiribati's easternmost islands, the southern Line Islands south of Hawaii, into the same day as the Gilbert Islands and places them in the most advanced time zone on Earth: UTC+14.
The permanent population of Kiribati is just over 138,000 as of the 2026 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. There is also a significant number of I‑Kiribati forming a diaspora, the largest of which still growing via emigration is probably in New Zealand; historically, diasporic communities were created through over-population resettlement in the Solomon Islands on Ghizo and Wagina, and through intermarriage in the United Kingdom and United States. Another country with growing diasporic communities born of recent labour immigration is Australia. The I‑Kiribati are a Micronesian people that speaks the Gilbertese language.
The Gilberts were politically autonomous of each other, more or less, and anywhere else, until annexed as a protectorate in 1892 by the British; they had no political connection then with the Phoenix or Line islands. This annexation was ended in 1979, when Kiribati gained its independence from the United Kingdom, becoming a sovereign state in 1979. The sovereign state included the Gilberts, the Phoenix and Line islands and Banaba. The capital, Tarawa, now the most populated area, consists of a number of islets, connected by a series of causeways. These comprise about half the area of Tarawa Atoll. Prior to its independence the country exported phosphate, but the mine, on Banaba, is virtually exhausted and no longer viable. The descendants of the Banabans mostly live in exile on Rabi in Fiji but are represented in the Kiribati Parliament.
Fisheries, subsistence agriculture and the export of copra drive much of the economy, particularly on outer islands away from Tarawa.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Kiribati (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Kiribati
Kiribati is made up of three distinct island groups -- the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The first Austronesian voyagers arrived in the Gilbert Islands as early as 3000 B.C., but these islands were not widely settled until about A.D. 200 by Micronesians. Around 1300, Samoans and Tongans invaded the southern Gilbert Islands, then known as Tungaru, bringing Polynesian cultural elements with them. Later arrivals of Fijians brought Melanesian elements to the Gilbert Islands, and extensive intermarriage between the Micronesian, Polynesian, and Melanesian people led to the creation of what would become Gilbertese cultural traditions by the time Europeans spotted the islands in the 1600s. The Phoenix Islands and Line Islands were both visited by various Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, but their isolation and lack of natural resources meant that long-term settlements were not possible. Both island groups were uninhabited by the time of European contact. Kiribati experienced sustained European contact by the 1760s; all three island groups were named and charted by 1826. American whaling ships frequently passed through the islands, and the UK declared a protectorate over the Gilbert and nearby Ellice Islands in 1892, in an attempt to block growing US influence. Phosphate-rich Banaba Island was annexed to the protectorate in 1900. In 1916, the protectorate became a colony, and some Line Islands were added in 1916 and 1919, with the final ones added in 1972. The Phoenix Islands were added to the colony in 1937, and the UK agreed to share jurisdiction of some with the US because of their strategic location for aviation. During World War II, the islands were occupied by Japanese forces but were ejected by US amphibious assaults. The Ellice Islands became its own colony in 1974 and was renamed Tuvalu for “eight standing together” in 1975. The Gilbert Islands became fully self-governing in 1977 and independent in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati, the Gilbertese spelling of Gilberts. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Islands in a 1979 treaty of friendship. In 2012, Kiribati purchased a 22 sq km (8.5 sq mi) plot of land in Fiji for potential eventual resettlement of its population because of climate change, and in 2014 Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe BAINIMARAMA said residents of Kiribati would be welcome to relocate to Fiji if their country is swamped by rising sea levels.
- Location
- Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia.
- Climate
- Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds.
- Terrain
- Mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs.
- Highest point
- Unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m.
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 1,143 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 0 km.
- Natural resources
- Phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 42% (2023 est.); arable land: 2.5% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 39.5% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.); forest: 1.3% (2023 est.); other: 56.7% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level.
- Geographic note
- 21 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; Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western)
- Languages
- Gilbertese, English (official)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- I-Kiribati 95.78%, I-Kiribati/mixed 3.8%, Tuvaluan 0.2%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)
- Economy
- Lower-middle income, Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; sizable remittances; key phosphate mining fund; tourism and fishing industries; public sector-dominated economy; recent withdrawal from Pacific Islands Forum; ongoing constitutional crisis.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Kiribati in Numbers
- Population
- 136,488
- GDP
- US$349.2 million
- GDP per person
- US$2,559
- Life expectancy
- 66.6 years
- Population growth
- 1.45% a year
- Population density
- 166 per km²
- Urban population
- 63.4%
- Surface area
- 811 km²
- Forest cover
- 1.3%
- Arable land
- 2.5%
- Access to electricity
- 97.7%
- Internet users
- 89.4%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Kiribati in Depth
History
The area now called Kiribati has been inhabited by Austronesian peoples speaking the same Oceanic language, from north to south, including the southernmost Nui, since sometime between 3000 BC and 1300 AD. The area was not completely isolated; later, voyagers from Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji introduced some Polynesian and Melanesian cultural aspects, respectively. Intermarriage and intense navigation between the islands tended to blur cultural differences and resulted in a significant degree of cultural homogenization. Local oral historians chiefly in the form of lore keepers suggest that the area was first inhabited by a group of seafaring people from Melanesia, who were described as being dark-skinned, frizzy-haired, and short in stature.
Geography
Banaba is a raised-coral island. It was once a rich source of phosphates, but was exhausted in mining before independence. The rest of the land in Kiribati consists of the sand and reef rock islets of atolls or coral islands, which rise only one or two meters above sea level.
The soil is thin and calcareous. It has a low water-holding capacity and low organic matter and nutrient content—except for calcium, sodium, and magnesium. Banaba is one of the least suitable places for agriculture in the world.
Kiritimati (previously Christmas Island) in the Line Islands has the largest land area of any atoll in the world. Based on a 1995 realignment of the International Date Line, the Line Islands were the first area to enter into a new year, including the year 2000.
Economy
Kiribati has few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits on Banaba were exhausted at the time of independence. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. Kiribati has the lowest GDP of any sovereign state in Oceania, and is considered one of the least developed countries in the world.
Kiribati gets a large portion of its income from abroad. Examples include fishing licences, development assistance, workers' remittances, especially the seafarers issued from Marine Training Centre, and a few tourists. Given Kiribati's limited domestic production capacity, the country imports most manufactured goods and many essential foodstuffs, and relies on external sources of income to finance these imports.
Demographics
The November 2020 census showed a population of 119,940. About 90% lived in the Gilbert Islands, with 52.9% of them on South Tarawa, including Betio, the biggest township.
Until recently, people lived mostly in villages with populations between 50 and 3,000 on the outer islands. Most houses are made of materials obtained from coconut and pandanus trees. Frequent droughts and infertile soil hinder reliable large-scale agriculture, so the islanders have largely turned to the sea for livelihood and subsistence.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kiribati (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kiribati: Key Facts
| Currencies | Kiribati dollar, Australian dollar |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English, Gilbertese |
| Head of state | Taneti Maamau |
| Head of government | Taneti Maamau |
| Calling code | +686 |
| Internet domain | .ki |
| Highest point | Banaba Island |
| Lowest point | Pacific Ocean |
| Established | 12 July 1979 |
Facts from Wikidata Q710 (CC0).
Visiting Kiribati
Kiribati (pronounced Kiribahs) is a remote archipelago nation in Micronesia, at the equator. It consists of 33 atolls widely dispersed through 3.5 million km² of sea territory. Kiribati is a tranquil paradise. While most of its local lifestyle remains communal, its main highlight are aquamarine waters set around an 800-km² island backdrop.
Kiribati is one of Oceania's poorest countries, and a demanding destination, with few hospitality venues but there aren't many countries where the people are more friendly.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Kiribati (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Kiribati
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarawa | 28,802 | — | National capital |
Ports in Kiribati
3 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canton Island | 42.1 m | Very Small | Pacific Islands & Hawaii | point_of_interest |
| 2 | Tarawa Atoll | 42.1 m | Very Small | Pacific Islands & Hawaii | medium vessels |
| 3 | English Harbor | 5.5 m | Very Small | Pacific Islands & Hawaii | medium vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kiribati
1 World Heritage Site recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix Islands Protected Area | 2010 | Natural | (vii) (ix) |
Largest Islands of Kiribati
8 islands recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.
| # | Name | Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix Islands | 117,566 km² | Island group |
| 2 | Line Islands | 22,089 km² | Island group |
| 3 | Kiritimati | 438 km² | Island group |
| 4 | Tarawa | 84 km² | Island |
| 5 | Banaba | 84 km² | Island |
| 6 | Starbuck | 84 km² | Island |
| 7 | Butaritari | 84 km² | Island |
| 8 | Vostok | 83 km² | Island |
Countries Bordering Kiribati
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Oceania
Kiribati: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Kiribati?
- The capital of Kiribati is South Tarawa.
- What is the population of Kiribati?
- Kiribati has a population of about 136,488, the #192 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Kiribati?
- Kiribati covers 811 km², ranking #189 by area, with about 168 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Kiribati in?
- Kiribati is in Oceania.
- Which countries border Kiribati?
- Kiribati shares a land or maritime border with United States, France.
- What is the largest city in Kiribati?
- Tarawa is the largest city in Kiribati, with a metropolitan population of about 28,802.