Geography of Kiribati

A map of Kiribati

Kiribati's Gilbert Islands

The total land area mass total 811 km² (313 sq mi). It includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands. Most of the land on these islands is less than two metres above sea level.[2] Including the amount of water, the total water and land area is 2485 square miles. A 1989 United Nations report identified Kiribati as one of the countries that could completely disappear in the 21st century if steps are not taken to address global climate change.

The coastline of the islands total 1,143 km (710 mi) in length. Kiribati has the 12th largest exclusive economic zone of 3,441,810 km² (1,328,890 sq mi) (200 nautical miles). The islands are relatively flat and very spread out. The highest point, on Banaba Island, is 265 feet above sea level.

Due to its location, Kiribati exhibits a maritime climate. Temperatures range between 26 and 32 °C year-round, with the water temperature sitting on a comfortable year-round 28-29 °C. The dry season is from December to March while the wet season last from February to May and from September to November. In the driest years, the islands have received 150mm of rainfall while its wettest years have seen upwards of 4000mm.[3][4][5]

The amount of arable land is at 2.5%. Crop usage stands at about 40% of the available land. A few trees exist and occupy 10% of the land. About 50% of the land is used for housing and commercial use.

Kiribati is part of three terrestrial ecoregions:[8]

• the Line Islands are in the Central Polynesian tropical moist forests ecoregion
• the Phoenix Islands are in the Western Polynesian tropical moist forests ecoregion
• the Gilbert islands and Banaba are in the Eastern Micronesia tropical moist forests ecoregion

Much of the natural resources have been exhausted before its 1979 independence. On the island of Banaba, the British mined phosphorus for guano, until exhaustion of supply, an event that was before independence.[9]

Cyclones can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level. The Climate Change in the Pacific Report (2011) describes Kiribati as having a low risk of cyclones;[10] however in March 2015 Kiribati experienced flooding and destruction of seawalls and coastal infrastructure as the result of Cyclone Pam, a Category 5 cyclone that devastated Vanuatu.[11]

The island of Banaba has suffered greatly from the after effects of the massive phosphorus mining. Most of the population were forced to evacuate to the island country of Fiji due to its effects. In addition, the atoll near the island of Tarawa is vulnerable to the effects of solid waste disposal. A report by the United Nations say the wildlife from the region are endangered. The islands are very sensitive to the damaging effects.[12]

The country signed the Convention on Diversity on 6 August 1994.[13]

It also signed conventions on the Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection.[14]

Kiribati's territorial waters (EEZ)

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area constitutes 11.34% of Kiribati's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with a size of 408,250 km² (157,630 sq mi). This is the second largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Pacific Ocean.

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.

Kiribati is the only country in the world whose land exists in all four hemispheres.[14]