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| Country name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form:
Kiribati
note:
pronounced kir-ih-bahss
former:
Gilbert Islands
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| Government type: |
republic
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| Administrative divisions: |
3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - in addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)
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| Independence: |
12 July 1979 (from UK)
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| National holiday: |
Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
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| Constitution: |
12 July 1979
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| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
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| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Assembly, includes the president, vice president, attorney general, and up to eight other ministers
elections:
the House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates from among their members and then those candidates compete in a general election; president is elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 27 November 1998 (next to be held by NA November 2002); vice president appointed by the president
election results:
Teburoro TITO reelected president; percent of vote - Teburoro TITO 52.3%, Dr. Harry TONG 45.8%, Amberoti NIKORA 1.9%, Taberannang TIMEON 0%
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| Legislative branch: |
unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (41 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member, and one nominated to represent Banaba; members serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held 23 September 1998 (next to be held by NA September 2002)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Maneaban Te Mauri Party 14, National Progressive Party 11, independents 14
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| Judicial branch: |
Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all levels are appointed by the president
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| Political parties and leaders: |
Maneaban Te Mauri Party [Teburoro TITO]; National Progressive Party [Teatao TEANNAKI]
note:
there is no tradition of formally organized political parties in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures
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| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA
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| International organization participation: |
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
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| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
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| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati
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| Flag description: |
the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
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