Saturday, July 12, 2025

Kiribati Independence Day


 

Kiribati Independence Day is celebrated annually on July 12th to mark its independence from the United Kingdom, on July 12, 1979. Festivities last for several days as the government sets the dates for several other public holidays like Gospel Day, National Culture Day, and Senior Citizens’ Day during Independence Week. The capital of South Tarawa has the biggest celebration at the Bairiki National Stadium. Colourful parades, traditional dances, canoe races, kite-flying, and other sports competitions form part of the revelry.

History of Kiribati Independence Day

Kiribati is located in the central Pacific Ocean and is part of the division of the Pacific Islands called Micronesia. There are 33 coral islands consisting of the Gilbert Islands, Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands. Most are atolls or ring-shaped islands with central lagoons, except for Banana in the Gilbert Islands, which is a raised limestone island. Only 21 islands are inhabited, with most of the population concentrated in the Gilbert Islands.

The islands came under European colonial rule almost by accident. Several Europeans just happened to end up there as traders or castaways. It was named after British naval captain Thomas Gilbert who came across the islands in 1788 while sailing from Australia to China. In 1892, Britain declared a protectorate over the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands, now known as Tuvalu. They also annexed Ocean Island, now known as Banaba, with the discovery of phosphate resources. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony was formed in 1916, and over the next 20 years, other island groups were added, including the Line Islands and the Phoenix Islands.

Banaban residents started litigation proceedings against the British government to demand compensation for environmental damage caused by phosphate mining as well as recovery of lost phosphate export revenues in 1971. They soon demanded independence in 1975 but the British government refused. The Ellice Islands separated from the colony and eventually became part of Tuvalu. Eventually, the Gilbert Islands were able to establish internal self-government in 1977.

 

 

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