WHERE IS KIRIBATI?
The nation of Kiribati (pronounced “kee-ruh-bus”) is comprised of 32 atolls and one solitary island; the vast geography of the country spans all four hemispheres and is the only country that does so. It also spans three time zones—UTC +12, +13, and +14—which makes it the first country to see the new day. There are three main chains of islands: The Gilbert Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands (the lone solitary island is Banaba).
The main island, Tarawa, is in the Gilbert island chain and the majority of the nation’s population resides on that island. As is characteristic of an atoll, the island has a large lagoon surrounded by the remnants of a volcanic island; the land above water surrounding the lagoon is sometimes only 20 feet wide. The island is largely known for a WWII battle that was fought there, the Battle of Tarawa.
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Kiribati is suffering direct side effects from climate change; the island is only 3 meters above sea level at the highest point, so rising sea levels are stripping the island of its already scarce land. The island is expected to be underwater within 50 years if the current trends continue. Experts believe it may be sooner. Kiribati is working with other governments to create a migration plan to move to another viable island when the situation becomes dire enough to demand a move.
The official languages of Kiribati are Gilbertese (also known as Kiribati) and English, although English is not generally spoken off of the main island of Tarawa. Thomas Gilbert, famous for his captainship of the vessel Charlotte for the East India Company, was the first European to note the existence of Tarawa in 1788. The islands and the local language were termed after his namesake.