Geography of Kiribati

Kiribati is an island nation located in Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. It is made up of 32 island atolls and one small coral island spread out over 1.3 million square miles. The country itself, however, has only 313 square miles (811 sq km) of area. Kiribati is also along the International Date Line on its easternmost islands and it straddles the Earths equator. Because it is on the International Date Line, the country had the line shifted in 1995 so that all of its islands could experience the same day at the same time. Fast Facts: Kiribati Official Name: Republic of KiribatiCapital: TarawaPopulation: 109,367 (2018)Official Languages: I-Kiribati, English  Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)Form of Government: Presidential republicClimate: Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade windsTotal Area: 313 square miles (811 square kilometers)Highest Point: Unnamed elevation on Banaba island at 265 feet (81 meters)  Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean at 0 feet (0 meters) History of Kiribati The first people to settle Kiribati were the I-Kiribati when they settled on what are the present-day Gilbert Islands around 1000-1300 BCE. Fijians and Tongans later invaded the islands. Europeans did not reach the islands until the 16th century. By the 1800s, European whalers, traders, and slave merchants began visiting the islands and causing social problems. In 1892, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands agreed to become British protectorates. In 1900, Banaba was annexed after natural resources were found and in 1916 they all became a British colony. The Line and Phoenix Islands were also later added to the colony. During World War II, Japan seized some of the islands and in 1943 the Pacific portion of the war reached Kiribati when United States forces launched attacks on the Japanese forces on the islands. In the 1960s, Britain began giving Kiribati more freedom of self-government and in 1975 the Ellice Islands broke away from the British colony and declared their independence in 1978. In 1977, the Gilbert Islands were given more self-governing powers and on July 12, 1979, they became independent with the name Kiribati. Government of Kiribati Today, Kiribati is considered a republic and it is officially called the Republic of Kiribati. The countrys capital is Tarawa and its executive branch of government is made up of a chief of state and a head of government. Both of these positions are filled by Kiribatis president. Kiribati also has a unicameral House of Parliament for its legislative branch and Court of Appeal, High Court, and 26 Magistrates courts for its judicial branch. Kiribati is divided into three different units, the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands, for local administration. There are also six different island districts and 21 island councils for Kiribatis islands. Economics and Land Use in Kiribati Because Kiribati is in a remote location and its area is spread over 33 small islands, it is one of the least developed Pacific island nations. It also has few natural resources, so its economy is mainly dependent on fishing and small handicrafts. Agriculture is practiced throughout the country and the main products of that industry are copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, and assorted vegetables. Geography and Climate of Kiribati The islands making up Kiribati are located along the equator and International Date Line about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The closest nearby islands are Nauru, the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu. It is made up of 32 very low lying coral atolls and one small island. Because of this, Kiribatis topography is relatively flat and its highest point is an unnamed point on the island of Banaba at 265 feet (81 m). The islands are also surrounded by large coral reefs. The climate of Kiribati is tropical and as such it is mainly hot and humid but its temperatures can be somewhat moderated by the trade winds. Sources Central Intelligence Agency. CIA - The World Factbook - Kiribati.Infoplease.com. Kiribati: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com.United States Department of State. Kiribati.

Essay on Bird Imagery in Portrait of the Artist as a...

Bird Imagery in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man The works of twentieth-century Irish writer James Joyce resound vividly with a unique humanity and genius. His novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, published in 1916, is a convincing journey through the inner mind and spirit of Stephen Dedalus. Portrayed with incredible fluency and realism, imagery guides the reader through the swift current of growth tangible in the juvenile hero. Above all heavy imagery in the novel is the recurring bird motif. Joyce uses birds to ultimately relate Stephen to the Daedelus myth of the â€Å"hawklike man;† however, these images also exemplify Stephen’s daily experiences, and longing for true freedom . By using imagery of birds as†¦show more content†¦Heron taunts Stephen, sardonically naming him a â€Å"model youth† who â€Å"doesn’t flirt and doesn’t damn anything or damn all†. This blatant remark by the bird-like boy is an obvious verbal threat to Stephen’s character. Continued as Heron and his friend viscously chide Stephen for his admiration for Byron’s poetry, Joyce’s bird imagery bears in this scene a restraint of Stephen’s uniqueness by threatening his self-expression. As Stephen mentally develops in the progression of the novel, he begins his search for the â€Å"freedom and power of his soul, as the great artificer whose name he bore† would have done. Stephen is now at the beach, pondering his new sense of maturity as he grows â€Å"near to the wild heart of life†. Walking down a rocky slope, he takes notice to a girl â€Å"alone and still, gazing out to sea†. Stephen watches her, and awed by her â€Å"likeness of a strange and beautiful sea-bird,† he realizes she is the epitome of all that is â€Å"the wonder of mortal beauty†. Painted by Joyce’s radiant imagery of the â€Å"darkplumaged dove† he sees before him, this rationalization is the basis of Stephen’s internal epiphany; she is, toStephen, â€Å"an envoy from the fair courts of life†. This wholesome bird-like girl with â€Å"longShow MoreRelatedA Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man1594 Words   |  7 Pagesthis essay is to discuss how James Joyce’s seminal novel A Portrait of the Artist as a young man, is experimental with regards to plot, point of view, language, symbolism, style and character development, and will begin with a brief introduction. Many artists, be they of the pen, brush or instrument, seek through innovation an artistic immortality that has the potential to act as a blueprint from which imitation is spawned. Joyce’s Portrait is at its core innovative pioneering prose, and it can beRead More The Key Elements of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Essay1853 Words   |  8 PagesKey Elements of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   James Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man provides an introspective exploration of an Irish Catholic upbringing. 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The parallels between Biblical text and The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man are abundant. As Cranly says to Stephen, It is a curious thing, do you know, how your mind is supersaturated with the religion in which you say you disbelieve (232). The novel progressesRead MoreHow Does One Re Work History?2351 Words   |  10 Pagesre-work history? Do they re-work the message around it or do they re-work culture that surrounds it. In this essay we will look at two artists that reshape and re contextualize historical works. They create a meaning that forms a new genealogy around the image, creating a new subject of discussion. Kehinde Wiley works with historical paintings. He re-shapes the imagery to re-work the influence historical works portray; a rich aristocratic power and influence. 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Into the Wild essay Free Essays

All in all, within the plethora of persona, he illus. dates resemblance of myself and Henry David Thoreau. In contrast, he counteracts the lyrics of â€Å"Mad World† written by Gary Jules. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the Wild essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Jon Krause, in , portrays Chris Mishandles’ determination with reaching his goals, which similarly connects to my unforgiving attitude. Setting goals and having a passion to achieve such goals creates character that can not be known any to her way. Westerners compliments Chris, â€Å"He was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. Did don’t matter what it was†¦ And he never quit in the middle of something’ (Krause 18). Chris, k now as Alex to Westerners, always kept his mind on his end goal of hiking to Alaska into the elderliness and never gave up, even when things got tough. Similarly, my parents always taut get me to never give up and follow any dream, no matter how highly standard or crazy it may be, because the outcome can be life changing. Ever since was little I always dreamed Of playa Eng softball in Wilkinson 2 college and eventually end up on TV, as well as wanting to be an accountant f or a small business. Right now, I am in the midst of my dream, working for the last goal. For softball, I play on varsity in high school as a junior. While for school I take 4 AP classes, along with an accounting course. Combining my involvement in softball and school, with a very high probability, will encounter an opportunity for college in my near future. Full y, Chris Mishandles and I share a similar passion for following our dream, no matter t he circumstances. Secondly, Mishandles portrays similar qualities as Henry David Thoreau with hatred for higher authority. In Thoreau essay, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience , criticizes the government’s power over the citizens and how they unlawfully use that to the IR advantage. Into the Wild describes Alex of having ideas like that. Throughout many pieces of work The Rorer sees his knowledge to express his opinion against what he believes to be war Eng, like, â€Å"l was not designed to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. Let us see who is t he strongest† (Thoreau). To be clear, Thoreau speaks to the government because he disagree sees with how they force others to do things. Correspondingly, Alex does not appreciate the gave rent because he feels no matter what he says they will disagree with him and lock him up since e his actions look suspicious. Krause could endeavor to explain that he a answered to statutes of a higher order that as a latterly adherent of Henry David Thoreau, he too as gospel the essay and thus considered it his moral responsibility to flout the laws of the state† (Krause 28). Here, Krause explains Ale’s view point and why he feels the government or any authority will allow him to keep moving without any arrest. As a whole, Mishandles and Thoreau share multiple qualities, but most apparent, their hatred for the government. Wilkinson 3 Lastly, Chris’ decision to leave his family contrasts the song â€Å"Mad World†, by G array Jules. To explain, Chris vacates his family and moves on with his life to become e a better self, while â€Å"Mad World’s† lyrics hope for that result, but the people in society instead conform, and eventually end up killing themselves because of the torture they received fro m only staying in one place and not moving on. The first verse of Mad World goes as followed: All around me are familiar faces Worn out places, worn out faces Bright and early for the daily races Going nowhere, going nowhere. (14) Gary Jules explains explicitly how everyone wants to succeed but downgrades that fact with explaining how nobody does anything about it. Opposing, Chris makes the decision to drop everything and leave his family for finding what he believes in. Krause expo lain Mishandles’ ordeal discussing how'[I]immediately after graduating with hon. RSI, from Emory university in the summer of 1990, Mishandles dropped out of sight. He Chance geed his name, gave the entire balance of twentyfourthousanddollar savings account to chair TTY abandoned his car, and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet. And then h e invented a new life for himself, taking up residence at the ragged margin of our society, wand erring across North America in search of raw, transcendent experience† (Krause Author’s Note). Chris realized he would benefit from leaving his materialistic life because all he felt he needed, tauter could offer to him with peace, which came to the conclusion of him also removing all past things from his life. How to cite Into the Wild essay, Essays Into the Wild Essay Free Essays The Pursuit of Happiness Every individual is unique. One’s unique identity is composed by their own beliefs, values and views. Many individuals wish to obtain a state of happiness. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the Wild Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Happiness is not an unreachable goal since each person has their own individual definitions of true â€Å"happiness†. Sean Penn uses Chris McCandless’ life story to show the idea of what it means to be human in the movie Into the Wild. A person will try to pursue certainty and hopefulness because of particular events that happened in the person’s life. Relationships can be damaged by the findings of the reality of a situation. The protagonist’s parents are highly ambitious individuals who place the value of worldly goods above everything else. After graduating from high school Chris goes on a trip to California where he visits with all friends and finds out that his father had another family before his sister and he were born. The emotions triggered by this discovery overwhelm Chris so he did not share his findings with his parents. â€Å"Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness†¦ [he wanted the] truth†, something that his parents never gave him. The trust that Chris had in his parents was broken by this revelation, resulting in him believing that he isn’t worthy of love. The only reason Chris found out the lies and secrets of his family was because he choose to deeply explore his family history. Freedom for Chris came from the findings about his parents. Chris hated the society he was in, he saw it as a world where the ignorant are in power and the well-educated intellectual has to watch his words since those words can have disastrous consequences. Chris sees people as prisoners, living unhappy lives and putting up with the confines of their lives, never wanting to break out of a life of security and behaviour akin to following the heard because all of this can give a person a fake sense of peace of mind. Chris saw the only way that he could escape those feelings of being poisoned by society and the only way that he can truly fee himself from his circumstances by simply running away and walking alone through the land, eventually isolating himself from everything. This is Chris’ definition of happiness. To accomplish this he simply donated all of his money to charity and left without telling anyone. The deceit and lies from his family pushed Chris to run away from a pretentious reality and form his own version of what a happy and fulfilling reality was by surrounding himself with the harmony of nature. This was Chris’ journey of self-discovery and it came to fruition as he set off â€Å"Into the Wild†. Chris set off on his spiritual quest â€Å"†¦to find [himself] at least once in the most human conditions†¦ with nothing to help [him] but [his] own hands and [his] own head†. He went through all the difficulties of living purely off the land by hunting and fishing and often suffering from near-starvation without any exterior wealth or resources in order to prove that for him, it was â€Å"not [necessary] to be strong but to feel strong, to measure [himself] once†. The feat that Chris undertook, he was only able to carry it out based on a strong set of values and morals that he learned and absorbed from the words of great writers and enlightened thinkers. To find inner peace and a true candid reality, Chris was driven to the wild for freedom and change. To close the void in his heart, Chris travels great distances. His final destination was Alaska, a land where he can escape from people, technology and all the other luxuries of everyday life. His survival in Alaska depended on him hunting and picking edible plants for food and starting fires for warmth. Chris spends most of his time contemplating about his life and about his ideas of happiness. After much contemplating Chris finally realized that by simply running away he would not be able to solve his problems and the only way he can be truly happy is by sharing and interacting with others and ultimately he realizes that even he needs companionship. Leo Tolstoy captivates Chris with the idea that happiness stems from â€Å"being useful to people†. Once Chris realizes this he is sadly unable to return to society as he discovered that the snow melted and what once used to be a small river now turned into a full torrent which does not allow him to leave. This is made worse by the poisonous plant that Chris ate which eventually causes his death. In the end it was Chris’ self centered ideals of happiness that led to his death. When starting his journey, Chris had his truth and ideals set in stone, but as he experienced true isolation, he, along with his ideals changed dramatically. One’s personal experiences are what create the significance of truth and perfectionism in one’s life. To fully comprehend this is very difficult because of the uniqueness of each individual. Chris’ journey shows that trouble and distress will be present in a person’s life if they don’t have an ideal to which to live by. The truth isn’t always pretty and can very well be upsetting, but by finding the truth a person may be able to find an ideal. The truth about the unknown family that Chris has is what enabled him to create his ideals about how negative society is. His trip to Alaska on the other hand is what showed him another truth, one where he needs relationships and where his happiness can be achieved within the confines of society. How to cite Into the Wild Essay, Essay examples Into the Wild Essay Free Essays Chris McCandless: Why’d you have to go? Chris McCandless is a uniquely remarkable person for a large number of reasons. Most people would consider any person who donated their life savings, burned all the cash in their wallet, and abandoned their car to go wander around the country with nothing; either crazy, stupid, or both. But I believe Chris McCandless was neither crazy nor stupid; in fact, I believe him to be a visionary. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the Wild Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now After receiving and fully utilizing a four-year education at Emory University in Georgia, he decided to leave society behind and venture off into the wild with only the things he deemed truly necessary. He left society in search of happiness and the truth behind what makes us all happy. Coming from a wealthy, upper-middleclass family, he learned to utterly despise the materialistic views of his family which he believed strongly reflected the American culture. This above all fueled his desire to rid himself of his possessions and go see the world for himself. Many people believe he was an idiot with a death wish, an Alaskan park ranger was even quoted saying â€Å"Chris McCandless committed suicide†(nmge. mu. edu). Although Chris McCandless died at the end of John Krakauer’s novel Into the Wild, I believe he found the answers he was looking for, and died after completing his venture. Chris traveled all over the North American continent meeting people and going on what I would consider the adventure of a lifetime. While there is much speculation and controversy over what his actual plan was, without a doubt the end of his plan was to ‘somehow get to Alaska. â€℠¢(Krakuer 77). I think because of the people he met on his travels and the metacognitive pondering he did throughout his time traveling he ended up doing exactly what he planned, but unfortunately, nothing else. Chris McCandless was by no means suicidal, he did not have a desire to die, but his plans ended with going to Alaska. Before getting to Alaska, McCandless explored anything and everything he could; he was a very curious man, always ready to explore. He even canoed down miles of the Colorado River all the way to Mexico. Upon arriving in Alaska his disposition seemed to change, instead of wanting to explore and see everything there was to see like he had been doing before, he settled down in an abandoned bus for a few months. The only other place Chris had chosen to stay for any amount of time similar that was in Bullhead city, Arizona when he got a job at McDonalds in order to acquire supplies and to wait out the winter before starting on his path to Alaska. This shows he was at least smart enough to not go try and live in the Alaskan wilderness during the winter. So what was he doing alone in the wilderness? Why did he stop exploring? These are questions that can only be speculated on. What differentiates this story from other stories is that while reading the book you perceive him as a character; Chris McCandless was not a character, he was a person. Characters always have motivation behind their decisions, doing things for specific reasons or even foreshadowing to events that haven’t even been written about yet. People are completely random, sporadically doing things with little to no thought. While we can sit here and analyze why he did what he did and what he was thinking at every step, but what if he had stopped thinking, what if he commonly acted on impulse? These are things that characters do not typically do. Chris McCandless stopped exploring upon arriving in Alaska for a few reasons. First of all he didn’t plan to do anything except survive when he got there. He wanted to survive and ponder his existence in the raw untempered wilderness. Whilst out there he was just thinking about survival, and while being in that state of mind he wanted to find things that still brought happiness to him. He had happy moments alone out there, but they were few and far between, and in his words â€Å"counted for little to nothing†(Krakuer 197). The most important thing Chris McCandles learned, and really the answer I think he was searching for was â€Å"Happiness is only real when shared†(Krakuer 77). Unfortunately he did not come upon this conclusion until it was too late to go back to society to share his newfound knowledge and to share his happiness with the ones he loved. That quote is really powerful and I believe it with all of my being. It is good to spend introspective time alone, but when it comes down to it if you had all the knowledge of the universe and no one to share it with, what would be the point? The same goes for what Chris discovered of happiness, while it is not impossible to be happy while you are alone it just does not seem to be worth anything unless you share your happiness. Happiness was meant to be shared by everyone and every thing with everyone and every thing, which is what I learned from John Krakuers telling of Chris McCandless journey to find the source of happiness. Happiness does not come from materialistic possessions, nor from people, or from money. Happiness comes from sharing everything from company and thoughts to houses and cars. If you are not sharing your happiness with someone else you more than likely are not as happy as you may think. If Chris had made it back he would have wanted to share the things that made him happy, just as I want to do now. Chris McCandless was a visionary and an eye opener. He has influenced many people and been a conversation point for many a collegiate-scholar. He explored many miles across North America and kept firmly to his beliefs. Chris’s journey was one of philosophical searching, and I believe he found what he was searching for. It was not until he was starving to death in the Alaskan wilderness that he realized what it was he was searching for was not there, he wanted to find happiness, but happiness can only be shared. Chris McCandless could have and should have had a plan to get out of Alaska, but he wasn’t that kind of guy. He just wanted to go where life took him, and it took him to death. Although it was definitely a long, painful, and miserable way to die I believe before his death Chris McCandless came to his epiphany before the end. Because he was not yet dead his quest had completed and he was ready to return to society with his newfound knowledge. Unfortunately for him, his friends and family, and the entire world, Chris never made it back to our society and we never got to learn from a very wise man. Not all wisdom comes from age; wisdom comes from experience backed by thoughtful and introspective reflection, both of which were all Chris McCandless did on his long and eventful trip out into the wild. Whether you think him a naive young man with a death wish or one of the greatest philosophical minds of his time or anything in between, Chris was brave enough to stand up for what he believed in and intelligent enough to search for a type of knowledge that cannot be taught, only experience. Chris McCandless has earned the respect of many people across the world and that is a valuable thing indeed. How to cite Into the Wild Essay, Essays