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Flag Description

the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the Pacific ocean; the white stripes represent the three island groups - the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix Islands; the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island); the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom

Background:The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.

Total Area: 811 sq km

Land Area:811 sq km

Water Area:0 sq km

Land Boundries Total:

Border Countries:

Coastline:1,143 km

Lowest Point:Pacific Ocean 0 m

Highest Point:unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m

Population:104,488 (July 2014 est.)

Population Growth Rate:1.18% (2014 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.)

Literacy(%):

Literacy(%) Male:

Literacy(%) Female:

Independence Day:12 July 1979 (from the UK)

National Holiday:Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

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