The only country in all four hemispheres is Kiribati. You’ll find Kiribati in the center of the Pacific Ocean right on the equator at an estimated longitude and latitude direction of 3.3704° S, 168.7340° W.
When you try to find it on a map, you can barely tell it’s there. However, it does consist of 33 reef islands and atolls (chains or groups of reef formations).
Interesting Facts
Because of Kiribati’s position on the earth, it’s the only country that has played Badminton on four hemispheres. Trained teachers also encouraged about 600 people to participate in this sport and in the Shuttle Time badminton events.
Kids from the Kiribati Badminton Foundation began helping out with the building of a new court too. All this started between 2019 and 2020. They apparently need something to do on this remote island, according to a social media post.
The Kiribati people also are known for enjoying their music and dance. They’re also known for their wood carvings, basket weaving and the weaving comes straight from natural plants, such as coconut leaves.
They also use the shells of coconuts to make cups and seashells in jewelry making—and both coconut and seashells for the dishes, such as bowls, that they make.
Demographic Data
Kiribati’s capital city is South Tarawa, and it has an estimated 2022 population of Kiribati 122,912 as of May 25th. Its people speak English and Gilbertese, and the country has designated them as official languages. It uses the Australian Dollar as its currency.
The Kiribati people primarily sustain the local economy by participating in fishing and agriculture, which are its two primary industries. It’s also known for its hand caught ornamental fish.
- Only 20 of its 33 islands have people permanently living on them.
- They have limited supplies of potable water and poor soil conditions (despite depending on agriculture as part of their sustenance).
- Local culture centers on the sea, the family and the church and/or religion.
- Kiribati is about 96% Christian, with an estimated 57% of the country identifying as Roman Catholic.
- The protestant Kiribati Uniting Church makes up 31% of the population.
- Their alcoholic drink of choice is fermented coconut juice, probably because of the availability of this crop.
- They operate by the Bubuti system, which states you must honor another’s request for help without complaint.
Climate
Kiribati has a rainforest climate and is prone to cyclones and flooding. Its most heavy rainfall occurs between November and April. From October to April, that’s when it sees most of its sunny days with an average of about 86 degrees.