Kiribati
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June 2004

1.Heidis.house.JPG	2.Kiribati_from_the_air.JPG	3.Kiribati_training_site.JPG
4.Paul_baby.JPG	5.Fishing_in_Kiribati.JPG	6.wa1.jpg	7.preschool.jpg

1. Heidi's House
2. Kiribati from the air
3. Kiribati training site
4. Paul and a baby
5. Fishing in Kiribati
6. The overcrowded tw wa
7. Preschool

Kiribati (pronounced kee-ree-bus) is far away, hard to get to, un-touristy and deeply religious. Kiribati is the epitome of the deserted island with more coconut trees than people.

Traditional culture remains strong, with time-honored dancing, singing, and magic still playing a significant role in people's lives. The I-Kiribati (as locals are known, pronounced 'ee-kee-ree-bus') speak a Micronesian dialect, although English is widely used in official communications. The food, to no surprise, is fish and rice, although I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of lobster that I consumed.

Kiribati's territorial waters are vast (nearly the size of Argentina and Chile combined), but the stuff where the coconuts grow is only a little larger than New York City. Kiribati comprises three island groups: the Gilbert, Line (Northern and Southern) and Phoenix Islands. They sit bang smack over the equator, with Tuvalu to the south, the Marshall Islands to the north-west and Nauru out west. The 34 islands are all low lying atolls apart from the mine-scarred wasteland of Banaba, which at its highest point hits 87m (285ft).

The capital, Tarawa, is not a single town but a group of islands surrounded by a coral atoll and is one of the most densely populated areas in the Pacific, with a population density similar to Hong Kong's.

I had a terrific time in this remote and beautiful island nation

--Kelly

October 2005

Aerial view of Tarawa	Battle of Tarawa1	Battle of Tarawa2	Battle of Tarawa3
Bra factory	Flying into Tarawa2	House on a bunker	Kids of Kiribati
Kids of Kiribati2	Seaside	Tarawa village	Ted bunker
flying into Tarawa	group shot