Kiribati was first settled between 200 and 500 AD. Today Kiribati is an independent republic and comprises the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line groups of islands. There are some 30 low lying coral islands with a total land area of over 800 square kilometres. The capital is Tarawa and the population of 65,000 is mainly Micronesian. English is the official language, but Gilbertese and Kiribati are the main local languages. The country become a republic in 1979.

There are two hotels worth staying at in Kiribati. One is located on Tarawa, and the second is on Christmas Island. Guest houses on some of the other islands are made of local materials in the traditional style. Hotels offer restaurants which feature local seafood. Kiribati is not a standard tourist destination, there are no resorts in Kiribati and if you are looking for an idealic holiday destination then Kiribati is not for you.

The climate is tropical and the wet season is from November to April. Local currency is the Australian dollar. Local taxis and buses are available on South Tarawa and boats and ferries operate to the outer islands. There are scheduled flights from Tarawa to the outer islands.

Tarawa is serviced by Our Airline and Christmas Island has flights from Australia/Fiji and Honolulu. with Air Pacific. Packages are available to Tarawa and Christmas Island.

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