Kiribati

Kiribati, independent island republic in the central Pacific, consists of 3 groups of coral atolls and 33 islands astride the equator. The land area is 324 sq mi (811 sq km), spread across 2,400 mi (3,860 km) of ocean. The population of 75,000 is mostly Micronesian. The capital, Bairiki, is on Tarawa, where over 30% of the total population lives. Fishing constitutes the mainstay of the subsistence economy, supplemented by the cultivation of taro and fruits. Formerly part of the British protectorate called British Gilbert and Ellice Islands (since 1892), Kiribati was granted independence in 1971.