HISTORY
The Gilberts, sighted by Spanish navigators between 1537 and 1606, were declared together with the Ellice British protectorate in 1892 and then united in 1915 to form the Gilbert and Ellice Crown Colony. In 1975 the Ellices broke away from the Gilberts, which remained a colony under the administration of a British governor, despite having obtained indigenous self-government in 1977. Two years later, in July 1979, the Gilberts, with the island of Ocean (or Banaba), the islands of the Phoenix and the Line Islands, gained independence, within the Commonwealth, and took the name of Kiribati. In the aftermath of independence, the economic difficulties encountered by the country prompted the government to press, in the context of the South Pacific Forum, for the achievement of a commercial cooperation agreement between the Pacific States. Furthermore, more and more substantial aid was requested from Great Britain, while economic relations were also established with Japan and the European Community. Despite the efforts of the government, the country in the spring of 1981 went through a serious crisis, but managed to recover its stability in the following months; in 1982, at the end of a series of elections, Ieremie Tabai, president at the time of independence, obtained the renewal of his mandate, reconfirmed in January 1983 and 1987.
In 1985, according to usprivateschoolsfinder, Kiribati adhered to the Treaty of Rarotonga for the constitution in the Pacific south of a large nuclear-free zone and signed a trade agreement for fishing in its waters with the USSR. In the second half of the 1980s, since the fishing contracts with the USSR were not renewed, Kiribati signed a treaty with the United States. In 1987, in a context of great political immobility, Tabai was re-elected to the presidency of the Republic. In the consultations of July 1991 he did not reappear but supported Teatao Teannaki who was regularly elected. But Teannaki proved to be somewhat unscrupulous, to the point of incurring the dismissal decreed by the Legislative Assembly which had accused him of embezzlement (May 1994). On this occasion, a delicate political phase opened with the police preventing the president in a context of great political immobility, Tabai was re-elected to the presidency of the Republic. In the consultations of July 1991 he did not reappear but supported Teatao Teannaki who was regularly elected. But Teannaki proved to be somewhat unscrupulous, to the point of incurring the dismissal decreed by the Legislative Assembly which had accused him of embezzlement (May 1994). On this occasion, a delicate political phase opened with the police preventing the president in a context of great political immobility, Tabai was re-elected to the presidency of the Republic. In the consultations of July 1991 he did not reappear but supported Teatao Teannaki who was regularly elected. But Teannaki proved to be somewhat unscrupulous, to the point of incurring the dismissal decreed by the Legislative Assembly which had accused him of embezzlement (May 1994). On this occasion, a delicate political phase opened with the police preventing the president Legislative assembly that had accused him of embezzlement (May 1994). On this occasion, a delicate political phase opened with the police preventing the president Legislative assembly that had accused him of embezzlement (May 1994). On this occasion, a delicate political phase opened with the police preventing the president ad interim, indicated in the person of Tekire Tameura, to carry out his functions. The situation of institutional vacuum was overcome with the new elections held in July 1994 and won by Maneaban Te Mauri (MTM) which put an end to fifteen years of uninterrupted power of the National Progressive Party. A few months later the leader of the MTM, Teburoro Tito, was elected president of the Republic. In September 1999 the country joined the UN. In 2003, Anote Tong was elected president.
CULTURE
The scarce tourist influx has made it possible to preserve original cultural traits, preserving ways of life linked to the work of the land and the sea and a social organization based on clans. On the different islands of the archipelago, in whose immense territory is the meeting point between the equator and the Greenwich morning marking the change of date, the most popular forms of craftsmanship are the construction of boats along with the processing of wood and shark teeth. Among the favorite activities of the population there are canoe competitions; traditional songs and dances are still widely practiced, mainly during feasts or initiation rites. Catholicism imported by missionaries, joining with local animistic practices, has given rise to peculiar forms of hybrid religiosity. The most popular foods, the basis of local cuisine, are potatoes and coconuts.
