The widely scattered nation of Kiribati, pronounced "Kir-ee-bahs," located in the Pacific Ocean along the edges of the Equator, includes the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line island groups. Most are uninhabited.
These low-lying coral atolls, (33 in all) are the protruding tips of undersea volcanoes, and extend only a few feet above sea level.
The waters surrounding Kiribati witnessed intense whaling activities in the 19th century, and the islands were an important battlefield during World War II.
Formerly part of the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, it gained full independence from Britain in 1979, shortly before the valuable phosphate deposits on the island of Banaba were depleted. Kiribati was therefore awarded millions for the total exploitation of that major resource in 1981.
The local economy now depends on subsistence farming, fishing, and the island's prolific stands of coconut palms, and the subsequent sale of copra (coconut meat.)
The isolated location of the Kiribati islands prevents tourism from flourishing, and becoming a major business, even though the weather is consistently warm, offshore reefs teem with colorful fish, and WWII shipwrecks are commonplace, especially off the eastern edge of Kiritimati (Christmas Island.)
That island, incidentally, is the world's largest coral atoll, and was once used for the testing of nuclear weapons.