KIRIBATI

Republic of Kiribati CAPITAL: Tarawa FLAG: Above a blue and white heraldic representation of Pacific waters, a golden sun rises against a red background, with a golden frigate bird at the top. ANTHEM: Troika kain Kiribati (Stand Kiribati). MONETARY UNIT: The Australian dollar is the national currency. A$1 = US$0.6173 (or US$1 = A$1.62) as of May 2003. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: Kiribati is in transition from imperial to metric standards. HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Independence Day, 12 July; Youth Day, 4 August; Christmas Day, 25 December; Boxing Day, 26 December. Movable holidays include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Queen’s Birthday (June), Bank Holiday (August), and Prince of Wales’s Birthday (November). TIME: Midnight = noon GMT.