Relationship dossier
Kiribati
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Relationship assessment
Kiribati recognized US sovereignty over several Pacific islands in the 1979 Treaty of Tarawa; the territory is administered by the United States.
Kiribati toward United States Minor Outlying Islands
+10Kiribati recognized US sovereignty over several Pacific islands, including islands now within the United States Minor Outlying Islands, through the 1979 Treaty of Tarawa.
United States Minor Outlying Islands toward Kiribati
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Kiribati and the United States addressed Pacific island sovereignty claims through the 1979 Treaty of Tarawa. Kiribati recognized US sovereignty over islands that include locations within the United States Minor Outlying Islands. The territory is administered by the United States and does not conduct an independent foreign policy.
Key developments
The Treaty of Tarawa addressed Pacific island sovereignty claims, with Kiribati recognizing US sovereignty over several islands now within the United States Minor Outlying Islands.
Major uncertainties
- The treaty’s implementation and its continuing relevance to the territory’s administration are unclear.
- The scope of Kiribati government cooperation specifically concerning the United States Minor Outlying Islands is unclear.