Geography Quiz Arcade

Capital of Kiribati: Tarawa — Facts & 5-Question Quiz

The capital of Kiribati is Tarawa. Kiribati sits in Oceania, has a population of 131,232, and uses the AUD. Official languages include English, Gilbertese.

Quick facts

  • Capital: Tarawa
  • Continent: Oceania
  • Population: ~131,232
  • Area: 811 km²
  • Population density: 162 people per km²
  • Official languages: English, Gilbertese
  • Currency: AUD
  • ISO code: KI

How big is Kiribati?

By population, Kiribati ranks 180th in the world, holding roughly well under a hundredth of a percent of all people on Earth. By land area it ranks 174th.

Those two numbers rarely match, and the gap between them is the interesting part. Kiribati has 162 people per square kilometre, which is about 2.7 times the world average of 59.4. It is more spacious than its population alone would suggest.

Within Oceania, Kiribati is the 8th most populous country of 14.

Countries of a similar size

The two countries closest to Kiribati in population are Grenada (125,438) and Micronesia (114,164).

By land area, its closest counterparts are Bahrain (765 km²) and Dominica (751 km²).

Comparisons like these are worth more than raw figures when you are trying to remember them. A number on its own is hard to hold; a number next to a country you already have a feel for is much easier.

Language and currency

English is spoken officially in 58 countries in this dataset, including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados and Belize, and 52 others.

The AUD is not unique to Kiribati — it is also used by Australia, Nauru and Tuvalu. Shared currencies usually mark a monetary union or a long-standing peg, and they are a useful shortcut in quizzes: get one country's currency and you often get several.

How to remember Kiribati

Say it 'KEER-ee-bass': in Gilbertese 'ti' sounds like 's', and the name is the local spelling of 'Gilberts', the old name of the islands. The capital is Tarawa, an atoll, where government offices are on South Tarawa.

The flag of Kiribati: red, gold, blue and white

🇰🇮 The flag is a red upper half with a gold frigatebird flying over a rising gold sun, and blue and white wavy stripes below. The three white waves stand for the Pacific Ocean and the three island groups (Gilbert, Phoenix and Line), the 17 rays of the sun for the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba, and the frigatebird for authority and freedom.

Region and neighbours

Kiribati is an island country in the central Pacific Ocean, made up of 33 coral atolls and islands spread across a huge area of ocean. As an island country it has no land neighbours.

Three facts about Kiribati

  1. Kiribati is the only country with land in all four hemispheres, north, south, east and west.
  2. Its Line Islands are among the first places on Earth to start each new day, in the UTC+14 time zone.
  3. Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in Kiribati is the largest coral atoll in the world by land area.

Sources: Wikipedia: Kiribati, Wikipedia: Flag of Kiribati, Wikipedia: South Tarawa, CIA World Factbook.

Quiz yourself on Kiribati

Kiribati capital quiz

  1. What is the capital of Kiribati 🇰🇮?

    • Canberra
    • Honiara
    • Tarawa
    • Yaren
    Show answer

    Tarawa

  2. What is the capital of Micronesia 🇫🇲?

    • Canberra
    • Wellington
    • Palikir
    • NukuÊ»alofa
    Show answer

    Palikir

  3. What is the capital of Tonga 🇹🇴?

    • Honiara
    • Wellington
    • NukuÊ»alofa
    • Port Vila
    Show answer

    Nukuʻalofa

  4. What is the capital of Samoa 🇼🇸?

    • Majuro
    • Yaren
    • Palikir
    • Apia
    Show answer

    Apia

  5. What is the capital of Vanuatu 🇻🇺?

    • Canberra
    • Majuro
    • Port Moresby
    • Port Vila
    Show answer

    Port Vila

Kiribati in Oceania

The largest countries by population sharing this continent are Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Fiji.

If you are learning capitals region by region — far more effective than working alphabetically — Oceania is the block Kiribati belongs to, and its neighbours are the ones worth learning alongside it.

Try the Country to Capital Quiz, or the harder reverse direction. There is also a full country profile for Kiribati.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Kiribati?

The capital of Kiribati is Tarawa.

What is the population of Kiribati?

About 131,232, making it the 180th most populous country in the world.

How big is Kiribati?

811 square kilometres, ranking 174th by land area, at a density of 162 people per square kilometre.

What currency does Kiribati use?

The AUD, shared with 3 other countries.

What are the colours of the Kiribati flag?

The flag of Kiribati is a red upper half with a gold frigatebird flying over a rising gold sun, and blue and white wavy stripes below. The three white waves stand for the Pacific Ocean and the three island groups (Gilbert, Phoenix and Line), the 17 rays of the sun for the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba, and the frigatebird for authority and freedom.

Which countries border Kiribati?

None. Kiribati is an island country in the central Pacific Ocean, made up of 33 coral atolls and islands spread across a huge area of ocean, so it has no land borders with other countries.

How can I remember the capital of Kiribati?

Say it 'KEER-ee-bass': in Gilbertese 'ti' sounds like 's', and the name is the local spelling of 'Gilberts', the old name of the islands. The capital is Tarawa, an atoll, where government offices are on South Tarawa.

More capitals to learn

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