Kiribati is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. It comprises 33 atolls dispersed over 1,351 square miles (3,500 km²) close to the equator.

The name Kiribati is pronounced ['kiribas] and is the Kiribati rendering of "Gilberts", derived from the English name for the main group of islands: the former Gilbert Islands. Because the written native language lacks the letter 's', the sound is rendered as 'ti.' (Likewise, the Pacific island known as Christmas Island (not to be confused with the Australian-administered island of that name in the Indian Ocean) is known in the Kiribati language as Kiritimati Island).