The population of Kiribati in 2017 was 116,000 people, with the majority living in rural areas. The economy of Kiribati is largely based on subsistence farming and fishing, with a GDP of $313 million and a relatively low per capita income. Kiribati is a member of the United Nations, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Commonwealth of Nations. It has close ties to many countries throughout the Pacific region as well as its former colonial masters. In terms of politics, it is a democratic republic with President Taneti Maamau as its head of state. The Prime Minister is Henry Puna who leads the Boutokan Te Koaua Party which has been in power since 2016. See militarynous for Kiribati military and defense.
Yearbook 2017
Kiribati. On a visit to Fiji, Kiribati President Taneti Maamau said that the cultivation on the land that the previous administration bought in 2014 on the Fijian island of Vanua Levu would soon begin. According to Countryaah.com, Maamau visited the nearby village of Naviavia, where he assured residents that the project would be rewarding for them as well as for Kiribati. The more than 2,200 acres of property was purchased for just under US $ 9 million and was intended to be used for the cultivation of forage crops such as vegetables and kava, which is used to produce the slightly stimulating beverage of the same name. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for frequently used acronyms and abbreviations related to as well as country profile of Kiribati.
In February, the Kiribati government rejected an offer from the Russian businessman and politician Anton Bakov, who wanted to lease three uninhabited islands to try to revive an imperial empire under Romanov. Bakov had claimed on social media that Kiribati President Taneti Maamau was positive about the plans, which meant that Bakov would invest the equivalent of US $ 350 million over a number of years. In December, Bakov said he had instead concluded an agreement with the Gambia government.
