Flag of Kiribati

The Republic of Kiribati (pronounced kiribass), independent of the United Kingdom since 1979, extends over several archipelagos of the Pacific Ocean (Gilbert or Kiribati islands, Phoenix Islands and Line Islands), located near the equator and comprising 33 atolls, of which 21 are inhabited.

Total area 811 km2; population 105,400 (2006). With the exception of the Gilbert Islands archipelago (the most populated), which is in Micronesia, most of the islands are located in Polynesia.