Kiribati
Astride the equator and the date line
Kiribati is one of the most far-flung countries on Earth, a scattering of thirty-three coral atolls and reef islands strung across more than three million square kilometers of the central Pacific, straddling both the equator and the international date line. Its total land area is tiny, but its ocean territory is immense, encompassing some of the planet's largest marine protected areas. Most of its people live on the crowded atoll of Tarawa, around the capital South Tarawa, on islands that rarely rise more than a couple of meters above the sea.
Almost all of Kiribati consists of low-lying coral atolls and reef islands, with the highest natural point reaching only about 81 meters, on the raised limestone island of Banaba. The country is divided into three island groups, the Gilbert, Phoenix, and Line Islands, spread across a vast expanse of ocean. The climate is tropical, hot and humid, and the nation is acutely exposed to sea-level rise and storm surge, which threaten its very existence. The surrounding waters teem with tuna, the mainstay of the economy through fishing licenses.
Micronesian peoples settled the Gilbert Islands thousands of years ago. The islands became a British protectorate and later colony, were the scene of fierce fighting at Tarawa in 1943, and gained independence in 1979 as Kiribati, a name derived from the local pronunciation of Gilberts. The young republic survives on fishing revenue, coconut products, and aid, and it has become a prominent international voice on climate change, with leaders warning that rising seas could one day force the relocation of the entire nation.