KIRIBATI ~Art by Tevita Pola'apau ~

...Fantastic surprise in my mailbox today...it took five months to arrive...lovely art postcard...unfortunately coming from an island which could become one of the first victims of global warming :(... ever increasing high tides are causing villagers to abandon their homes...
Thanks a lot Rod!! Must have been once again an amazing journey... (http://www.expeditioncruising.com/ )

Kiribati  is an island located in the central Pacific Ocean, about 4,000 km (about 2,500 mi) southwest of Hawaii. It is part of the division of the Pacific islands that is known as Micronesia. Kiribati consists of 33 coral islands divided among three island groups: the Gilbert Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Line Islands.

The capital of Kiribati is Tarawa, an atoll in the Gilbert Islands. Bairiki, an islet of Tarawa, serves as an administrative center.

Stamp:
Explorers - Captain Wilkes & The Vincennes
(Issued 25-03-2002)