Introduction

A rather obscure country in the Pacific, Kiribati is a multi-archipelago nation that spans 1,800 miles across from its westernmost point eastward (Foster and Macdonald). Renowned for its numerous atoll islands, simple and traditional way of living, as well as its stunning exhibits of the Pacific Ocean, this obscure island paradise provides anyone who visits with a unique island-life experience that can only be obtained there (Mauri). 

Everywhere at Once

One of the most unique features of Kiribati’s geological location, other than its prime location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is its simultaneous existence in four corners of the world at once (technically). Due to it being a country whose many islands cover a large area of the Pacific, it is politically located in all four hemispheres of the Earth (Mauri). In addition to its geographical location, it has many islands (thirty-three to be exact). Despite being nearly as wide as the United States, the total landmass of the islands is a mere 313 square miles (Foster and Macdonald). Compared to the United States, this is barely more than a third of the total land area of Rhode Island which is 1,214 square miles, or about 3.9x the land area of Kiribati (Weiler, et al.). This is due to the fact that most of the country is a collection of multiple atoll shaped islands, which are thin and circular and contain a body of water within them, sacrificing usable land for an exotic island formation. 

A Rather Rude Protrusion 

If you look at a map of the world’s time zones, in the Pacific Ocean there is a rather odd extension of the International Date Line that goes as far east that it is below Hawaii. The country responsible for the outermost part of this protrusion is Kiribati. Since it’s technically on the other side of the International Date Line, if one were to travel from Hawaii to Kiribati, he or she would be going 24hrs ahead in time., thus travelling 1 day into the future. Apparently, this is due to the historical issues that were caused back when the International Date Line divided the country into two different dates and times. To oversimplify, this conundrum cost the local government and economy unprecedented amounts in lost potential revenue and productivity, which was soon alleviated when the International Date Line was moved past its easternmost border (Ariel and Berger 149).

A Passing Fad

The current ongoing climate change crisis promises to wreak havoc on humanity and nature alike should it not be resolved sooner. At the forefront of the consequences as well as the calls for action of the climate change crisis is Kiribati, the existence of which is being threatened by rising sea levels. As the islands are barely more than 6ft above sea level, they run the risk of being completely submerged as water levels keep rising, eventually displacing the 100,000 population of the islands (Braunschweiger). One day, if no significant progress is made towards alleviating climate change conditions, the 33 islands and atolls of Kiribati will soon be lost. Although many refuse to admit it, climate change is a serious global disaster that is slowly etching away at our planet. Should we continue to ignore it and refuse to take action, many beautiful countries and landscapes, not exclusively Kiribati, will be lost to the rising waters and oceans. 

Works Cited

Ariel, Avraham, and Nora Ariel Berger. Plotting the Globe: Stories of Meridians, Parallels, and the International Date Line. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2006. Print.

Braunschweiger, Amy. “Interview: Climate Change and the Disappearing Islands of Kiribati.” Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020. Web. 09 Apr. 2021.

Foster, Sophie and Macdonald, Barrie K.. “Kiribati”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/place/Kiribati. Accessed 7 April 2021.

“Mauri … This Is Hello and Welcome in Kiribati!” Kiribati For Travellers – Kiribati National Tourism Office, KNTO, 2021, www.kiribatitourism.gov.ki/. Accessed 7 April 2021.

Weiler, David, Luc Beaufort, Jaisley30, and Mjc02865. “RIGOV.” RI.gov: Rhode Island Government. Web. Accessed 7 April 2021.