Fact Finder - Geography

Fact
The Land of the Rising Sun: Kiribati
Category
Geography
Subcategory
Capitals Continents and Countries
Country
Kiribati
Description
Kiribati is an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean, consisting of 33 atolls and reef islands. It is the only country in the world to be situated in all four hemispheres (Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western). Its capital is South Tarawa. Kiribati's territory is spread over a vast area of the ocean, but its total land area is very small. In 1995, the country moved the International Date Line to the east so that all of its islands would be on the same calendar day. This resulted in Caroline Island (now Millennium Island) being the first place on Earth to see the sunrise of the new millennium. Like the Maldives, Kiribati is highly threatened by climate change and rising sea levels, leading the government to purchase land in Fiji as a potential future home for its citizens.