Kiribati is remote and tourism is very much in its infancy. However, after Kiribati changed the
International Dateline to make its uninhabited Caroline Island the ‘first to see the year 2000’ (causing hefty arguments with neighboring ‘first-dawn’ contenders Fiji and Tonga in the process), the country has moved further into the tourist spotlight. The islands boast superb
white sandy beaches and
crystal-clear lagoon waters.
GeographyKiribati (pronounced ‘Kiribass’, formerly the Gilbert Islands) consists of
three groups in the central Pacific: Kiribati (including Banaba, formerly Ocean Island), the Line Islands and the Phoenix Islands. The 33 islands, scattered across 5 million sq km (2 million sq miles) of the central Pacific, are low-lying coral atolls with coastal lagoons. The exception is Banaba, which is a coral formation rising to 80m (265ft). The soil is generally poor, apart from Banaba, and rainfall is variable. Coconut palms and pandanus trees comprise the main vegetation. There are no hills or streams throughout the group. Water is obtained from storage tanks or wells.
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