DESCRIPTION
The island nation of Kiribati (pronounced ‘kiri-bass’) is situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in the Micronesia region. Although the total land area is very small, the nation consists of 32 atolls and one island which are spread over a huge area equaling over 2 million square miles. There’s a population of around 105,000 people, most of whom are very poor. The official languages are English and Gilbertese, and travelers will find both the Kiribati dollar and the Australian dollar are accepted. With a poor population and economy, tourists shouldn’t expect luxury tropical island beach resorts here, as the infrastructure is very limited. Kiribati will be more suited to tourists looking for a quieter location, where relaxing on the beaches, scuba diving, fishing and getting to know the locals are the top attractions! The main destination for travelers is Kiritimati (or Christmas Island) where tourists will find a few hotels. The most visited attraction is the largest coral atoll in the world, where scuba diving is popular to see the plentiful marine life and fun ship wrecks! The tropical climate gives hot and humid weather, moderated by trade winds. From December to March is the rainy season.