Kiribati: Flag and Facts
Kiribati's flag is red on top, where a yellow frigatebird soars above a rising yellow sun, and blue below with three wavy white stripes for the Pacific Ocean.
- Official name
- Independent and Sovereign Republic of Kiribati
- Capital
- South Tarawa
- Region
- Micronesia
- Population
- 116,545 (2024)
- Languages
- English, Gilbertese
- Currency
- Australian dollar, Kiribati dollar
- Area
- 811 km² (313 sq mi)
- People
- I-Kiribati
- Calling code
- +686
- Highest point
- unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m
- Independence
- 12 July 1979 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- frigatebird
- Borders
- No land borders
About Kiribati
Every part has a meaning. The three white stripes stand for the country's three island groups: the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix Islands. The sun has 17 rays, one for each of the 16 Gilbert Islands plus Banaba. The frigatebird represents authority and freedom.
Austronesian voyagers reached the Gilberts as early as 3000 B.C., though wide settlement came around A.D. 200 with Micronesians. Samoans and Tongans arrived around 1300, and Fijians came later, and their blending created Gilbertese culture. The Line and Phoenix groups were too isolated for lasting towns and were empty when Europeans showed up. Britain declared a protectorate in 1892 and added phosphate-rich Banaba in 1900. Independence came on 12 July 1979. Nearly all the land is low coral atolls ringed by wide reefs, and the climate stays hot and humid, cooled by trade winds.
Did you know?
- The highest point in Kiribati is a spot on Banaba just 81 m above sea level.
- Kiribati covers 811 square kilometers, roughly four Washington, D.C.s put together
- Its anthem is Teirake kaini Kiribati, meaning Stand Up, Kiribati.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Kiribati
What is the capital of Kiribati?
South Tarawa is the capital. Tarawa had about 64,000 people as of 2018.
What currency does Kiribati use?
Kiribati uses the Australian dollar along with its own Kiribati dollar.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.