Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, with more than half living on Tarawa atoll. The state comprises 32 atolls and one remote raised coral island, Banaba. Its total land area is 811 km2 (313 sq mi) dispersed over 3,441,810 km2 (1,328,890 sq mi) of ocean.
The islands which now form the Republic of Kiribati have been inhabited for at least seven hundred years, and possibly much longer. The initial Austronesian peoples’ population, which remains the overwhelming majority today, was visited by Polynesian and Melanesian invaders before the first European sailors visited the islands in the 17th century. For much of the subsequent period, the main island chain, the Gilbert Islands, was ruled as part of the British Empire. The country gained its independence in 1979 and has since been known as Kiribati.
Politics of Kiribati takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Beretitenti, President of Kiribati, is both the head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, Beretitenti, and his cabinet, all MPs. Legislative power is exercised by the House of Assembly. The Judiciary of Kiribati is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Constitution of Kiribati, promulgated at independence on 12 July 1979, establishes the Republic of Kiribati as a sovereign democratic republic and guarantees the fundamental rights of its citizens and residents.
The flag of Kiribati is red in the upper half with a gold frigatebird flying over a gold rising sun (otintaai), and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean and the three archipelagoes. The 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba.
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service of a high order...without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex." The award criteria include "service in any field including service rendered by Government servants" including doctors and scientists, but exclude those working with the public sector undertakings. As of 2020, the award has been bestowed on 1270 individuals, including twenty-four posthumous and ninety-seven non-citizen recipients.
Gilbertese or taetae ni Kiribati, also Kiribati, is an Austronesian language spoken mainly in Kiribati. It belongs to the Micronesian branch of the Oceanic languages.
Ieremia Tienang Tabai is an I-Kiribati politician who served as the first Beretitenti President of the Republic of Kiribati, after being the youngest ever Chief minister of the Commonwealth of Nations and then becoming the youngest ever head of State. During his presidency, he was described as being the most able leader of the Pacific island states.
Teatao Teannaki was an I-Kiribati political figure who served as President of Kiribati from 1991 until 1994.
"Kunan Kiribati", also known by its incipit, "Teirake Kaini Kiribati", is the national anthem of Kiribati. It was written and composed by Ioteba Tamuera Uriam and adopted upon independence on 12 July 1979. Its lyrics were confirmed as per Schedule 3 of the National Identity Act 1989.
Nonouti is an atoll and district of Kiribati. The atoll is located in the Southern Gilbert Islands, 38 km north of Tabiteuea, and 250 km south of Tarawa. The atoll is the third largest in the Gilbert Islands and is the island where the Roman Catholic religion was first established in Kiribati, in 1888.
Nigerian National Honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends of Nigeria every year. They were instituted by the National Honors Act No. 5 of 1964, during the First Nigerian Republic, to honour Nigerians who have rendered service to the benefit of the nation.
The Order of the Star of South Africa was a South African National Order that consisted of seven decorations in two military and five non-military classes. The order was discontinued on 2 December 2002.
The Cabinet of Kiribati is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Kiribati.
The Star of South Africa, Grand Cross, post-nominal letters SSA, is the senior decoration of five non-military classes of the Order of the Star of South Africa, a South African Military Order that was instituted by the Republic on 1 July 1975. The Order of the Star of South Africa was discontinued in 2002.
The honours system of Kiribati was established by the Kiribati National Honours and Awards Act 1989. This act created a system of awards to recognize exemplary, meritorious or distinguished service, "in, for, or to Kiribati". The awards are divided into two categories, civil and disciplined forces. Awards are conferred by the Beretitenti, upon the advice of the Cabinet. The awards are as follows in their order of precedence:
The Star of South Africa, Officer is the fourth-ranked decoration of five non-military classes of the Order of the Star of South Africa, a South African military order that was instituted by the Republic on 1 July 1975. The Order of the Star of South Africa was discontinued in 2002.
Ratimiti Babera Kirata (1938-1991) was an I-Kiribati politician, elected in the House of Representatives in 1967 for the constituency of Onotoa. He was nominated candidate to the 1978 Gilbertese Chief Minister election. He was born in Onotoa where he was continuously elected MP from 1978 to his death, dying less than one month before the general election of May 1991. He was at that moment one of the possible candidates to the succession of Ieremia Tabai as the Beretitenti. He was one of the founders and the first president of the Gilbertese National Party and later of the National Progressive Party (Kiribati). He had been continuously member of the Cabinet of Kiribati from 1979 to 1991.
The Ministry for Line and Phoenix Islands Development is a government ministry of Kiribati, headquartered in London, Kiritimati. It focuses on the development of the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands. The ministry was founded after the 1978 Gilbertese Chief Minister election by Ieremia Tabai.
Louisa Murdoch Humphry is a I-Kiribati artist and master weaver with over thirty years of experience. Humphry grew up in Kiribati and now resides in New Zealand. In 2019, her work was recognised with a Pacific Heritage Artist Award alongside Kiribati artist Kaetaeta Watson at the Arts Pasifika Awards. In 2021, she was appointed an honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the Kiribati community and culture.
A constitutional crisis began in Kiribati when the Cabinet of Kiribati suspended two of its High Court Justices. High Court Judge David Lambourne was suspended in May 2022 while Chief Justice Bill Hastings was suspended on 30 June 2022, both over allegations of misconduct. A Court of Appeal ruling upheld an earlier ruling of Chief Justice Hastings that the government acted unconstitutionally in not permitting David Lambourne to resume his duties as a High Court judge, and overturned the subsequent attempted deportation of Lambourne. In response, the government suspended all judges of the Kiribati Court of Appeal on 6 September 2022.
Kiribati 
