Kiribati
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Tarawa
- Population
- 116,545 (2024 est.)
- Area
- 811 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- Languages
- Gilbertese, English (official)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- I-Kiribati 95.78%, I-Kiribati/mixed 3.8%, Tuvaluan 0.2%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)
- Currency
- Australian dollars (AUD)
- Life Expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .ki
- Climate
- tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
- Terrain
- mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
- Natural Resources
- phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish
- Major Exports
- fish, coconut oil (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Kiribati is made up of three distinct island groups -- the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The first Austronesian voyagers arrived in the Gilbert Islands as early as 3000 B.C., but these islands were not widely settled until about A.D.
Pray for This Country
Kiribati is a nation shaped by the ocean that surrounds it — both a source of daily livelihood and, increasingly, an existential threat as rising seas erode its low-lying coastline. As you pray this week, hold in mind both the physical vulnerability I-Kiribati families face and the deep communal faith that has sustained island life for generations.
- Pray for wisdom for Kiribati's leaders as they navigate the realities of climate change and plan for their people's long-term future.
- Pray for families in outer island communities who face growing isolation as young people migrate to South Tarawa or overseas for work.
- Pray for the health and safety of I-Kiribati seafarers who spend long months away from home crewing foreign merchant ships.
- Pray for the churches of Kiribati to be a source of hope, unity, and practical care as communities face an uncertain future.
- Pray for clean water, adequate sanitation, and strong health care access, particularly in the increasingly crowded capital area.