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An island country of the west-central Pacific Ocean near the equator. It includes the former Gilbert Islands, Banaba (Ocean Island), and the Phoenix and Line islands. Settled by Austronesian peoples before the 1st century ad, the islands, together with the Ellice Islands, became a British protectorate (1892-1916) and subsequently a crown colony under the name the Gilbert and Ellice Island Colony. The Ellice Islands gained independence (1978) as Tuvalu and the remaining islands (1979) as Kiribati. Tarawa is the capital.
(Placename) an independent republic in the W Pacific: comprises 33 islands including Banaba (Ocean Island), the Gilbert and Phoenix Islands, and eight of the Line Islands; part of the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands until 1975; became self-governing in 1977 and gained full independence in 1979 as the Republic of Kiribati; a member of the Commonwealth. Official languages: English, I-Kiribati (Gilbertese) is widely spoken. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: Australian dollar. Capital: Bairiki islet, in Tarawa atoll. Pop: 103 248 (2013 est). Area: 684 sq km (264 sq miles)
Ki•ri•ba•ti(ˌkɪər iˈbɑ ti, ˈkɪər əˌbæs)
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|Noun||1.||Kiribati - an island republic in the west central Pacific just to the south of the equator|
Federated States of Micronesia, Micronesia, TT - a country scattered over Micronesia with a constitutional government in free association with the United States; achieved independence in 1986
Gilbert Islands - a group of islands in Micronesia to the southwest of Hawaii; formerly part of the British colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands until it became part of the Republic of Kiribati in 1979