History

The first Europeans to visit the area were the Spanish in 1606. The 16 predominantly Micronesian-peopled Gilbert Islands and 9 predominantly Melanesian-peopled Ellice Islands became a British protectorate in 1892, and then the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (GEIC) in 1916. The colony was occupied by Japan (1942-43) and was the scene of fierce fighting between Japanese and US forces.

Independence

In preparation for self-government, a legislative council was set up in 1963, and in 1972 a governor took over from the British high commissioner. In 1974 the legislative council was replaced by an elected house of assembly, and in 1975, when the Ellice Islands separated, becoming independent as Tuvalu in 1978, the GEIC was renamed the Gilbert Islands. The islands achieved internal self-government in 1977 and full independence within the Commonwealth in 1979, under the name of Kiribati, with Ieremia Tabai as their first president.

Tabai was re-elected in 1982, 1983, and 1987. In 1985 Kiribati's first political party, the opposition Christian Democrats, was formed. Tabai was re-elected in the general election in May 1991, but was constitutionally prohibited from serving a further term in office and gave his backing to Vice-President Teatao Teannaki in the contested presidential election in July. In May 1994 the government was defeated on a vote of confidence and resigned. Teannaki's ruling National Progressive Party was decisively defeated in the July 1994 general election, ending a 15-year-period in power, and the assembly chose Teburoro Tito as president.

In House of Assembly legislative elections, in September 1998, the ruling Maneaban Te Mauru (MTM - ‘Protect the Maneaba’) and the opposition National Progressive Party (NPP), lost seats to independents. In November 1998 President Teburoro Tito, of the MTM, was re-elected for a second term by the House of Assembly, defeating two rival candidates. In July 2003, Anote Tong, the son of a Chinese immigrant family, was elected president representing the Pillars of Truth grouping, narrowly defeating his brother, Dr Harry Tong, of the MTM.

In 1995 Kiribati, in order to make it the same day throughout the country, declared the International Date Line to be moved so as to include its easternmost islands, the Line Group. The country was the first to celebrate the new millennium on New Year's Day 2000.

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traditional dance, Kiribati