Kiribati Government

Kiribati, officially known as the Republic of Kiribati, is governed under a Parliamentary Republic system. The country is a former British colony but gained its independence on July 12, 1979 according to the terms of the Kiribati Constitution. Residents of the nation vote for their government representatives in free and open elections. The branch of government known as the executive branch consists of a president (who also serves as the chief of the cabinet), vice president, and cabinet. The House of Assembly makes up the country’s legislative branch and is made up of elected members, the attorney-general, as well as a representative of the Banaban people from the former Ocean Island of Banaba.

Kiribati’s House of Assembly is made up of forty six members who are elected for a period of four years. The president, who is elected by the legislature, can serve for a maximum of three terms of four years each. During Kiribati’s latest election only two parties ran candidates; the Tobwaan Kiribati Party and Pillars of Truth. The Tobwaan Kiribati Party was formed in 2016 when the Maurin Kiribati and United Coalition Parties merged. The Pillars of Truth was established after splitting from the National Progressive Party.

Kiribati’s House of Assembly is located in Ambo, South Tarawa. From 1979 to most of 2000 the seat of government was situated in Bairiki. The administrative headquarters were relocated to their current location soon after construction on the new building was finished in October 2000. This new House of Assembly was built by a Japanese company. During his term in office the President lives in the Presidential residence.

Political parties in Kiribati include the Protest the Manaeaba, Tobwaan Kiribati Party, the National Progressive Party, the Maurin Kiribati Pati, and the Pillars of Truth.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Tarawa
Languages	I-Kiribati, English (official)
Ethnic Groups	I-Kiribati 89.5%, I-Kiribati/mixed 9.7%, Tuvaluan 0.1%, other 0.8% (2010 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 55.8%, Kempsville Presbyterian Church 33.5%, Mormon 4.7%, Baha'i 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2%, other 1.5%, none 0.2%, unspecified 0.05% (2010 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	12 July 1979 (from the UK)
Area	811.00 km²
Land Area	811.00 km²
Population	106,925.00
Location	Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
GDP(PPP)	$211,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$1,800.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main exports are fish and coconut products.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food, machinery and equipment, and miscellaneous manufactured goods.
Climate	Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain	Mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Kiribati Government

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