Exotic lovers who travel the world may be interested in even the most remote places. Of particular interest are the islands. One of such places will be discussed in our article - this is the island of Kiribati. It is located in the Pacific Ocean and is part of the state of the same name.
State of Kiribati
Kiribati is a country in Oceania located in the western Pacific Ocean. The state consists of 33 islands. Only 21 of them are inhabited. All atolls of the country are divided into three groups:
- 16 inhabited islands of Gilbert.
- 8 Phoenix Islands (Kiribati). We live only one atoll - Abaryring.
- 8 Line Islands. Of these, only three are inhabited - Christmas, Theraina and Tabueran.
- Atoll Banaba. Located at a distance of 400 kilometers from the island of Gilbert.
The length of Kiribati is about four thousand kilometers, and the land area reaches a magnitude of 719 km. The population of the islands of Kiribati is 110,000. The capital of the state is the town of Bairiki, located on the atoll of Tarava. The official language of the country is English. However, most of the population speaks the Kiribati language.
If we talk about the administrative system, then there are six districts: Line, Tarava, Banana, South Gilbert Islands, Northern Gilbert Islands.
What do tourists who decide to visit the island of Kiribati need to know? “What kind of booms go there?” - One of the most common questions that are found on the forums of travelers. Of course, it is important to know what currency is in the country. The monetary unit of the country and the island of Kiribati, including the Australian dollar.
A bit of history
The history of the islands of Kiribati began in the first millennium BC. e., when they began to settle the Austronesian tribes. And already in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, immigrants from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa appeared here.
The Spanish navigator Fernandez de Quiros in 1606 discovered the island of Butaritari. In 1765, the British J. Byron discovered the Nikinau Atoll. His compatriots discovered the island of Tarava in 1788. So, gradually, by 1826 all the lands that were part of Kiribati were discovered.
A huge contribution to the study of the islands of Kiribati was made by Russian sailors Kruzenshtern and Bellingshausen. Subsequently, atolls began to be actively visited by whalers from the USA and Great Britain. And in 1850, merchants from America, Germany and Australia began to appear here, who bought coconut oil and copra. In just ten years, nine thousand people were removed from the atolls to work in Guatemala, Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji and Tahiti.
Subsequently, Christianity was gradually established in Kiribati. The islands became a British colony. In those days they were called Ellis and Gilbert. During World War II, colonial lands became an arena for hostilities. In 1941, powerful air strikes by Japanese aircraft and navy were inflicted on the islands. Some Europeans left the region, the rest brutally dealt with the Japanese. Part of the indigenous population was taken to the islands of Kusai and Nauru, while others were simply killed.
Later, the Americans ousted the Japanese from Tarawa, creating a military base here on which nuclear weapons were tested after the end of the war. The colony was granted self-government only in 1971. And in 1979, the islands proclaimed themselves independent. A new state was formed called the Republic of Kiribati.
Russian empire on the islands
Not so long ago, information appeared in the media that the Russian Empire could again appear on the world map. But it will not be located in the Urals or in Siberia, but somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Anton Bakov, the head of the Monarchist Party, said he intends to return the Russian Empire. The millionaire decided to realize his dream and even managed to keep an eye on the land for the new state. According to Anton Bakov, he is negotiating with the government of the Republic of Kiribati regarding the acquisition of three uninhabited islands - Millennium, Starbuck and Malden. Despite the remote location of the land, the politician believes that the region is quite suitable for the realization of his plans. Therefore, the emergence of a new Russian empire on the islands of Kiribati is quite possible.
Climatic conditions
Most of the islands of Kiribati are in the zone of the oceanic equatorial climate. But part of the southern and northern atolls belongs to the tropics. Due to its proximity to the equator, holidays on the islands of Kiribati are possible at any time of the year. If you are planning a trip to the region, pay attention to the fact that from March to October, trade winds blow that lighten the heat, and sometimes it storms from December to March.
The main feature of the climate of the islands of Kiribati is its uniformity. The air temperature here never drops below + 22 degrees. The usual temperature range is within + 28 ... + 32.
The islands are of interest from the point of view of beach holidays: warm sea, hot climate and golden sand. This is a real paradise in the tropics, where you can have a wonderful vacation.
Economics of a country
The basis of the economy of the islands of Kiribati are coconut plantations. Palm trees give a lot of products: walnut, coconut milk, shell, wood, copra, oil. Palm juice is used to make sugar and wine. Another source of income is the collection of pearls.
The country is very poor in natural resources. For some time, the production of phosphorites was a significant help to the local economy. But their reserves were exhausted in 1979. Therefore, the local government is currently selling fishing permits to other states in order to receive revenue from the local budget. The country does not even have its own currency, since the economy is very weak.
The basis of life in the country is subsistence agriculture. Arable land is scarce and scarce. All of them are divided between village communities. For their own needs, the population grows papaya, yams, bananas, breadfruit and coconut palms. Livestock is also underdeveloped. In coastal waters, residents catch octopuses, fish and sharks. On the lands of the Phoenix Islands, attempts are being made to grow forests.
Money
Going on vacation to the island of Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean, you need to take care of the money. As we have already mentioned, the Australian dollar is the official currency. In the course of banknotes from five to one hundred dollars. You can convert rubles into this currency while still in Russia. In tourist centers, you can sometimes pay with American dollars. But on the crushed islands it is impossible. Since Kiribati is considered one of the poorest countries in the world, it is quite logical that it is very difficult to exchange large banknotes on the streets. Therefore, it is worth carrying small ones. A credit card can be used only in Tarawa and even in some large hotels.
There are very few ATMs in the country, so in the capital it is better to immediately cash out the amount you need.
Visa
If you want to organize your holidays on the Caribbean islands, you should take care of a visa. You can apply for it at the UK Visa Application Center. Since the country is controlled by British territory, documents will have to be drawn up there. When submitting an application, it is necessary to take its filling seriously. Employees of the visa center are very meticulously studying all the documents.
Nature
The islands of Kiribati are completely untouched by civilization. There are no noisy resorts whose entertainment is not put on stream. The relief of the islands is very uniform. There are no hollows, no gorges, no mountains, no rivers, no lakes. Only low-lying plains formed by atolls surrounded by reefs are visible everywhere.
In Kiribati, there are only 100 varieties of plants. An interesting fact is that 70 of them were imported from other regions. There are no own endemic in the country. In the inhabited territories, most of the land is planted with vegetable gardens, and there are not so many green spaces. Despite the proximity of the equator and the presence of the rainy season, periods of drought often occur on the islands.
There are no animals as such in the region. Of the mammals, only rats are found. And farm animals are represented only by chickens and pigs. But in coastal waters there are a lot of fish. The world of seabirds is no less diverse.
Christmas Island
The most famous place in the country is Christmas Island (Kiribati), which is often called Kiritimati. It was discovered by J. Cook in 1777 on Christmas Eve, which is why it got its name. Despite the fact that the island is distant from other atolls, it has its own peculiarity. Its inhabitants celebrate New Year the very first in the whole world.
It is worth saying that Christmas Island (Kiribati) is the largest atoll in the world. Volcanic processes in this region of the Indian Ocean were completed 37 million years ago. As a result, several peaks appeared above the seabed. However, sea waves quickly enough almost completely destroyed volcanic peaks. A quiet and quiet life of corals led to the appearance of the world's largest atoll, whose area reaches 130 square meters. km It consists of a number of lagoons scattered throughout the island.
The entire island surface is covered with white coral sand, on which tropical shrubs and palm trees grow. In some places, the vegetation forms dense thickets. There are no tall plants on the atoll. The height of the bushes hardly reaches two meters. And tall palm trees do not interfere with the overview of ocean landscapes.
The main pride of Christmas Island is the wild, deserted beaches that are washed by clear waters. But for swimming in the ocean it is necessary to use special shoes, since there are a lot of coral debris at the bottom. The atoll could become a famous seaside resort, but the main obstacle is its significant remoteness from the mainland.
Guano
The island of Christmas or Kiritimati until the mid-nineteenth century was not of interest to the colonialists from Europe. But everything changed after in 1857, J. Stetson found on the atoll deposits of guano - ancient layers of bird droppings, from which you can get raw materials for the production of phosphate fertilizers. Soon, the development of deposits began on the island.
During World War II, Kiritimati became the scene of hostilities. An American base and an airfield were built on the island. And after the war, a nuclear bomb was tested on one of the nearest islands. The consequences of that explosion are still negatively affecting the environment.
Line Islands
This is a group of 12 atolls, 8 of which are part of Kiribati. All of them are very popular as a place for a beach holiday. Time on Line Islands (Kiribati) is 11 hours ahead of Moscow, on Phoenix atolls by ten, in Gilbert's group by nine. An interesting fact is that the lands of Kiribati are in three time zones, which is simply surprising for such a small state.
Hotels and bungalows have been built for tourists on the Line Islands, but the range of services in them is very different. It is worth noting that in the region all hotels are starless. Entertainment here is also not very much. Tourists can snorkel, enjoy water rides, surf and dive, and visit local breadfruit plantations.
Phoenix Islands
They are represented by 8 atolls, the beautiful nature of which is simply amazing. However, most of them are uninhabited, and the reason for this was the complete absence of fresh water.
Canton Atoll is the only one of the entire group that several families live on. It was named after a whaling ship that crashed on coral reefs in these waters. Once upon a time there was an American base on the island. But after the military lost interest in the region, people adapted buildings for housing.
Fennix Atolls are of interest only from the point of view of wild relaxation away from civilization. More and more tourists want to visit the uninhabited islands lost in the Pacific Ocean. Local atolls have beautiful pink sand beaches and inland lagoons. The unusual color of the sand cover is explained by the presence of small fragments of coral.
Tourists are interested in not only beach vacations, but also diving, since the underwater world of the coastal areas is incredibly rich. The local waters are home to more than 500 species of fish, among which there are barracudas, parrot fish and surgeons. No less interesting are local reefs, all covered with corals. During the dive, you can see shellfish, crab, shrimp, starfish and hedgehogs. The main attraction of the Phoenix Islands are the green turtles, which sail to the reefs in search of food.
Kiribati cuisine
It is hard to imagine the national cuisine of Kiribati without coconuts. They are grown here everywhere, and therefore they are used to prepare all dishes. Soups are flavored with milk, mixed with curry to get fish marinade, and coconut flesh is baked with chicken and added to tea. On the islands they eat fried fish, it is she who is the basis of the diet. Pork and chicken dishes appear on the tables only on major holidays. Residents of plants prepare sauces and all kinds of seasonings, which are an invariable attribute of local cuisine.
The national drink is kaokioka. Low alcohol drink is prepared on the basis of coconut milk.
Holiday Benefits
Despite the colonial influence, the country's culture remains incredibly distinctive. Here, folk music, peculiar local dances, reflecting the simple life of the inhabitants, are very common. Tourists who are looking for new experiences will certainly enjoy Kiribati. After all, there are beautiful sandy beaches, on which there are very few people, but civilization is completely absent. If you wish, you can find an uninhabited corner and enjoy the unity with nature.
But you will not find expensive hotels of famous world chains, expensive shops and other attributes of famous resorts on the islands. You can come here for a relaxing holiday at the sea's edge, for the sake of beautiful oceanic landscapes and an incredibly rich underwater world.
True, getting to Kiribati is difficult, there are no direct flights. To be in the capital, you will have to make several flights and transfers.