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Kiribati [1] (pronounced Kiri-bass) is an island group in Micronesia straddling the equator and, until 1995, the International Date Line. Kiribati's 33 atolls, with a total area of only 811 km², are scattered over an area of 3.5 million km². Kiribati saw some of the worst fighting of the Pacific theatre during the Second World War, including the infamous Battle of Tarawa in November 1943.

Kiribati is most emphatically not another Tahiti, Hawaii, etc. where you can go to relax and have nothing to worry about. It has few visitors, and they have to be prepared to "rough it." That said, there aren't many countries where the people are more friendly.

South Tarawa is one of the most densely populated, severely poverty-stricken places in the world. Other islands have far fewer people, but getting to them can be difficult, and conditions are even more primitive. Most tourists, especially from the USA, go to Kiritimati (Christmas Island). It received some attention on January 1, 2000 as the first location in the world to experience the new millennium. Conditions there are somewhat better than in the rest of Kiribati.

[edit] Regions

Except for the isolated Banaba (Ocean Island - 6 km², pop.~300), all the main islands are in one of three groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands.

[edit] Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are all in the UTC+12 time zone.

• Abaiang - 18 km², pop.~5502 - has at least one hotel and a couple of guest houses
• Abemama - 27 km², pop.~3400
• Aranuka - 12 km², pop.~1200
• Arorae - 9 km², pop.~1300
• Beru - 18 km², pop.~2200
• Butaritari - 13 km², pop.~3300
• Kuria - 16 km², pop.~1100
• Maiana - 17 km², pop.~2000
• Marakei - 14 km², pop.~2800
• Nikunau - 19 km², pop.~2000
• Nonouti - 20 km², pop.~3200
• Onotoa - 16 km², pop.~1700
• Tabiteuea (Tabiteuea North - 26 km², pop.~3600 & Tabiteuea South - 12 km², pop.~1298)
• Tamana - 5 km², pop.~ 900 - the smallest of the Gilbert Islands (too small to construct an airstrip)
• Tarawa (Tarawa North - 15 km², pop.~5700 & Tarawa South - 16 km², pop.~40000+) - Tarawa South is the location of Kiribati's capital

[edit] Line Islands

Eight of the eleven Line Islands atolls belong to Kiribati and are in the UTC+14 time zone, the easternmost zone currently in use anywhere in the world, making them the first places on Earth to start each new calendar day. The other three (all uninhabited) are U.S. dependencies.

Northern Line Islands

• Kiritimati (Christmas Island) - pop.~5000
• Tabuaeran (Fanning Island) - pop.~2500
• Teraina (Washington Island) - pop.~1000

The Northern Line Islands also include Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef which are U.S. dependencies.

The Central Line Islands and Southern Line Islands are all uninhabited.

[edit] Phoenix Islands

The Phoenix Islands are all uninhabited except for Abariringa (Phoenix group, pop.~40 and falling). This also includes two submerged coral reefs - Winslow Reef and Carondelet Reef . The Phoenix Islands are sometimes geographically amalgamated with Baker Island and Howland Island further north, both of which are uninhabited U.S. dependencies.

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

Kiribati was inhabited for 2000 years prior to European contact. Under British colonial rule, it was known as the Gilbert Islands. Kiribati was granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati. The name "Kiribati" is pronounced "Kiri-bass", which is the closest local equivalent to "Gilberts".

The Phoenix and Line Islands were generally held to be on the east side of the International Date Line and are in different time zones from the Gilbert Islands group, but on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of its territory was on the same calendar day (skipping 31 December 1994 in those island groups), effectively extending the Date Line further eastward to accommodate this. This makes the Line Islands the farthest "ahead" of any territory on the planet.

In 1995 Kiribati suspended diplomatic relations with France to protest the latter's decision to resume nuclear testing on Muraroa Atoll. In 1999 the government claimed that two atolls had been lost due to sea level rise and subsequently, in 2002, joined with Tuvalu and the Maldives to take legal action against the US for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol.

The presence of gun emplacements and ship wrecks from WWII battles on South Tarawa makes shipwreck diving a common tourist activity.

[edit] Climate

Whoever coined the phrase, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" may have had Kiribati in mind. Actually, the average high temperatures are quite reasonable compared to other well-known places in the tropics (such as Bangkok, Singapore, Manila, etc.). But the humidity more than makes up for this, making it feel very sauna-like. The wet season varies, but is usually December to March, give or take a month. Severe drought also occurs at times.

[edit] Get in

[edit] Visa Requirements

Nationals and citizens of the following countries are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati where the intended duration of their stay is 30 days or less: Belize, Federated States of Micronesia, Macao (only in respect of holders of Macao Special Adminisirative Region Passports), Marshall Islands, Palau, Republic of China (Taiwan), Republic of (South) Korea.

Nationals and citizens of the following countries specified are exempted from obtaining a visa before entering Kiribati:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Grenada, Greece, Hong Kong (only in respect of holders of British Nationals Overseas passports and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports), Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niue, Poland, Portugal, Romania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United Kingdom Overseas Territories of (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands), United States of America, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

There are honorary consulates in Rose Bay (near Sydney), NSW, Australia; Honolulu, Hawaii; Suva, Fiji; Hamburg, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea; Auckland, New Zealand; and London, United Kingdom. Also, visas may be obtained by writing the Principal Immigration Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.O. Box 68, Bairiki, Tarawa, KIRIBATI (Central Pacific). Caution: Do not apply directly to Tarawa within a couple months or so of your departure date, or when you need your passport elsewhere. Usually, it's best to inquire at the nearest consulate abroad. There's no requirement that you be a resident of the same country that the consulate is located in.

[edit] By plane

If through tickets are too expensive, get to Fiji anyway you can and go from there. On the other hand, if you've got thousands to spend and extra time, see how a Round the world fare on Oneworld or Star Alliance compares with the fare to Tarawa, and include this on your itinerary.

Air Pacific [2] has two weekly non-stop flights (3 hrs) from Nadi, Fiji with connections from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, and the United States including Honolulu (with codeshares on American Airlines, and possibly other ONEWORLD members). If using another airline to get to Fiji, be certain it lands in Nadi and not Suva (unless you're staying a while and can get to other side of the island).

Our Airline [3] (formerly Air Nauru) offers once a week (around Thursday or Friday) service to Tarawa from neighbouring island countries. Due to airline service cutbacks, the only way of getting there is via Brisbane, Australia with stops in Honiara (Solomon Islands), and Nauru. Flights via the Marshall Islands and Fiji on Our Airline have been suspended. It's unclear whether service to Majuro, Marshall Islands will be restored soon. If you must travel from this direction, try calling their agent in Majuro for updates at (692) 625-6109 or 625-3731.

[edit] By boat

Norwegian Cruise Lines [4] offers a stop on Fanning Island on their 11 and 10 day Hawaiian cruises. The cruises depart in Hawaii and stop for approximately 8 hours on the island.

[edit] Get around

Air Kiribati [5] has two turboprop aircraft for inter-island travel. Be sure to re-confirm, and note that flights are frequently canceled. Do NOT schedule international connections close to your return date on Air Kiribati.

[edit] Talk

English is an official language of the islands, and is widely spoken. The native I-Kiribati language may be useful in more remote locations, however.

[edit][add listing] See

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Buy

Only South Tarawa has a few international ATM's. Having some American Express or VISA travelers' cheques in Australian Dollars is recommended. (Australian Dollars are the currency used in Kiribati.)

[edit][add listing] Eat

The variety of food on Kiribati is extremely limited. If a shipment of imported food has just come in, buy it now, as it won't last long!

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Accommodations in Kiribati are limited, but there are some basic hotels on South Tarawa. A few have A/C with a generator during blackouts, and the rest have fans. North Tarawa has one guesthouse, and Kiritimati (Christmas Island) also has accommodations for visitors.

[edit] Learn

[edit] Work

With very high unemployment, it is unlikely that foreigners will be allowed any work unless they have needed skills not otherwise available. The U.S. Peace Corps is active in Kiribati, though, and sometimes volunteers with skills are sought.

[edit] Stay safe

Kiribati is generally a safe place to travel. However, it may be risky to be outside after dark in Beito or along the beach in South Tarawa, especially for single females. However, virtually all problems are caused by drunk males, not career criminals.

[edit] Stay healthy

Don't drink the water without boiling or filtering. Chemical treatment is not recommended as it may not prevent giardiasis . The lagoon (especially around Beito) is heavily contaminated, and may make the entire island segment smell bad at times. Always ask first before going out in the water at each location on South Tarawa -- no matter how inviting it looks. This is a good idea on other islands too. Get a hepatitis A shot, and be up-to-date on all your other vaccinations, preferably several weeks beforehand. Mosquitos can be very bad at times, so use repellent. Be sure to bring your own insect repellent and sunscreen, as these are not available locally. Don't expect any needed medications to be available either. (Some are, but you never know what is or when.)

There's no malaria, but dengue fever outbreaks (mosquito transmitted) do sometimes occur. The fish caught locally may give you food poisoning (ciguatera ), so be extra careful. Ciguatera is not preventable by cooking and/or freezing the fish. Promptly treat even the smallest cut, sore, or insect bite, as these can become infected very easily.

Medical evacuation insurance is highly recommended for Kiribati. Many outer islands have no airstrip, making any sort of evacuation long and difficult.

[edit] Respect

[edit] Contact

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