This island nation is officially known as the Republic of Kiribati. It is situated in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
About the Island Nation:
The Republic of Kiribati is made up of thirty two atolls and a raised island made up of corals. An atoll is a beautiful island made up of coral that encircles a lagoon. The coral island might completely or partly enclose the lagoon. These serene islands are spread out over 3.5 million square kilometers over the Pacific Ocean. They extend over to the equator and touch the International Date Line in the east.
The main chain of Gilbert Islands provides the island nation of Kiribati its name. ‘Gilberts’ in the local language means Kiribati. This proud island is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Kiribati gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1979. It is also a member of the United Nations (since 1999), IMF and the World Bank.
Geography and composition of the Island:
The Republic of Kiribati is divided into three island groups which are dispersed far and wide. They are the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line islands. Kanton is the island which is sparsely populated; it belongs to the phoenix group of islands which is uninhabited. The Phoenix Islands is the third largest marine protected area in the world.
Banaba is the raised coral island of Kiribati. It is an isolated island which lies between the Gilbert Islands and Nauru. Previously known as the Pleasant Island, Nauru is the smallest island nation that belongs to Micronesia in the South Pacific.
Gilbert Islands are a group of 16 atolls (coral island surrounding a lagoon). This chain lies to the north of Fiji. Phoenix island chain contains a total of 8 atolls and some coral islands. The Phoenix group lies to the southeast of the Gilbert Islands. Line Islands have one reef and 8 atolls to their claim. These islands lie to the east of Gilbert Islands.
Kirimati Island belongs to the Line chain of Islands. It is also known as Christmas Island and is the world’s largest atoll. Tebua Tarawa and Abanuea were Kiribati islets which in 1999 disappeared under the water because of rising ocean levels due to global warming. Rising Ocean levels are causing increased soil salinity (salt content) which affects the growth of plants on the islands. The coconuts trees on the Tepuka Savilivili islet have all died.
Culture: Music and native dance
Body percussion, chanting and other types of vocalizing form the Kiribati folk music. Modern Kiribati music involves a seated chorus accompanied by the guitar. These are for public performances. Te Kalimatoa is the standing dance and Te Buki is the hip dance wherein a wooden box is used as a percussion instrument. Love themed traditional dances, religious, patriotic, war, wedding, competitive, children’s dances are popular. Major festivals have stick dances which tell stories of legend and history.
The outstretched arms of the dancers and the birdlike motion of the head are characteristics of the Pacific Island dance. Even the Frigate minor bird on the flag of the island nation symbolizes the bird like dance. It is a form of storytelling and display of beauty, skill and endurance of the dancer. Smiling during the dance is hence considered vulgar.
