Officially known as the Republic of Kiribati, a widely scattered nation of Kiribati, located in the Pacific Ocean along the edges of the Equator, includes the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line island groups. Most are uninhabited. Among the 33 islands of Kiribati only 20 are inhabited.
All the islands are low-lying coral atolls. They are the protruding tips of undersea volcanoes, and extend only a few feet above sea level.
Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979. The capital, and now most populated area, South Tarawa, consists of a number of islets, connected by a series of causeways.
Kiribati is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the IMF and the World Bank, and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999.
Kiribati is considered one of the least developed countries in the world. The economy of Kiribati benefits from international development assistance programmes.