Kiribati is a country in Oceania, with about 136,000 people (2025) and an area of 810 square kilometres. Its capital is Tarawa, and it has no land borders.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of KiribatiKiribati in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
810 km² (313 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 172nd largest of 195.
Population density
169 people per km²
Land neighbours
None. It has no land borders with another country.
Official name
Republic of Kiribati
UN status
Member state
Capital coordinates
1.34° N, 173.02° E Tarawa, Natural Earth.
No land borders
Kiribati shares no land border with another country. Its nearest neighbours are across the sea, as the map above shows.
From the Geography app
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Kiribati's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
A nation scattered across 3.5 million square kilometers of ocean
Kiribati comprises 33 coral atolls and one raised coral island spread across an ocean area the size of India, yet its total land area is only 811 square kilometers. The country straddles both the equator and the International Date Line, making it one of the most geographically dispersed nations on Earth. Most atolls rise no more than 2 meters above sea level, placing the entire country within reach of rising tides.
More on 2 meters above sea level
The average elevation of Kiribati's atolls is less than 2 meters, and many areas sit below 1 meter. Storm surges and king tides already inundate villages regularly, making Kiribati one of the first nations that could become uninhabitable due to climate change.
4 more lenses on Kiribati in the app
STORY Navigators who read the ocean like a map
NOW The country buying land for its own people's future
NOW Tarawa: a World War II battlefield now fighting a different war
THREAD A vast ocean territory that great powers cannot ignore
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Kiribati with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Kiribati?
The capital of Kiribati is Tarawa. Tarawa lies at about 1.3 degrees north and 173.0 degrees east. Kiribati is in Oceania. It is home to about 136,000 people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Kiribati?
About 136,000 people live in Kiribati, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 178th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 810 square kilometres, that is about 169 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Kiribati?
None. Kiribati has no land borders with any other country. It is surrounded by sea, so every neighbour of Kiribati is across the water. It lies in Oceania. Its area is 810 square kilometres, and about 136,000 people live there.
How big is Kiribati?
Kiribati covers 810 square kilometres, or about 313 square miles. That makes it the 172nd largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 136,000 gives a density of 169 people per square kilometre.
Kiribati is a country in Oceania, with about 136,000 people (2025) and an area of 810 square kilometres. Its capital is Tarawa, and it has no land borders.
Capital
Tarawa
Continent
Oceania
Population
136,488 2025, World Bank. 178th of 195.
Area
810 km² (313 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 172nd largest of 195.
Population density
169 people per km²
Land neighbours
None. It has no land borders with another country.
Official name
Republic of Kiribati
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A nation scattered across 3.5 million square kilometers of ocean
Kiribati comprises 33 coral atolls and one raised coral island spread across an ocean area the size of India, yet its total land area is only 811 square kilometers. The country straddles both the equator and the International Date Line, making it one of the most geographically dispersed nations on Earth. Most atolls rise no more than 2 meters above sea level, placing the entire country within reach of rising tides.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/kiribati/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Kiribati
NameDate
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Colour Kiribati on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
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One question I still have
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/kiribati/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
