Teburoro Tito
President

(pronounced "teh-BOO-roar-o TEA-toe")

"As people become more politically aware, it will be much more difficult for politicians to stand up and make promises. A better pattern of governing will develop, which will reflect the fundamental values of Kiribati culture."

The Republic of Kiribati consists of 33 coral atolls of three groups (Gilbert group, Phoenix Islands, and Line Islands), scattered over 7,770,000 sq km (3,000,000 sq mi) of the central Pacific Ocean. Its neighbors are Nauru to the west; Samoa, Tuvalu, and Tokelau Islands to the south. Formerly part of a British Crown Colony known as Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Kiribati's land mass, 717 sq km (277 sq mi), is about the size of New York City; its population was estimated at 96,335 in 2002. Except Banaba (Ocean Island), all islands are low-lying atolls composed of coral sand and rock fragments subject to erratic rainfall. Water is...