@Kingman Reef:Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Kingman Reef:Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
KIRIBATI
@Kiribati:Introduction
Background: The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in
1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati.
The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and
Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
@Kiribati:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country