Countries

Kiribati

Kiribati is a nation of 33 coral islands in the central Pacific, spread across about 3.5 million square kilometres of ocean and straddling both the equator and the 180th meridian. Formerly the Gilbert Islands, it became independent from Britain in 1979, and since moving the date line in 1995 its Line Islands are the first land to greet each new day.

A long low reef islet barely rising above the open Pacific at Kiritimati, Kiribati

Kiritimati

Photo: Calvin Smith from Madrid, Spain, CC BY 2.0

A frigatebird flies over the sun rising from the Pacific, shown as wavy blue and white bands. The sun's 17 rays stand for the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba. Adopted in 1979.

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