Kiribati Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Tarawa

Population

116,545 (2024 est.)

Area

811 sq km

Location

Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

🧭 Background

Kiribati is made up of three distinct island groups -- the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The first Austronesian voyagers arrived in the Gilbert Islands as early as 3000 B.C., but these islands were not widely settled until about A.D. 200 by Micronesians. Around 1300, Samoans and Tongans invaded the southern Gilbert Islands, then known as Tungaru, bringing Polynesian cultural elements with them. Later arrivals of Fijians brought Melanesian elements to the Gilbert Islands, and extensive intermarriage between the Micronesian, Polynesian, and Melanesian people led to the creation of what would become Gilbertese cultural traditions by the time Europeans spotted the islands in the 1600s. The Phoenix Islands and Line Islands were both visited by various Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, but their isolation and lack of natural resources meant that long-term settlements were not possible. Both island groups were uninhabited by the time of European contact. Kiribati experienced sustained European contact by the 1760s; all three island groups were named and charted by 1826. American whaling ships frequently passed through the islands, and the UK declared a protectorate over the Gilbert and nearby Ellice Islands in 1892, in an attempt to block growing US influence. Phosphate-rich Banaba Island was annexed to the protectorate in 1900. In 1916, the protectorate became a colony, and some Line Islands were added in 1916 and 1919, with the final ones added in 1972. The Phoenix Islands were added to the colony in 1937, and the UK agreed to share jurisdiction of some with the US because of their strategic location for aviation. During World War II, the islands were occupied by Japanese forces but were ejected by US amphibious assaults. The Ellice Islands became its own colony in 1974 and was renamed Tuvalu for “eight standing together” in 1975. The Gilbert Islands became fully self-governing in 1977 and independent in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati, the Gilbertese spelling of Gilberts. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Islands in a 1979 treaty of friendship. In 2012, Kiribati purchased a 22 sq km (8.5 sq mi) plot of land in Fiji for potential eventual resettlement of its population because of climate change, and in 2014 Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe BAINIMARAMA said residents of Kiribati would be welcome to relocate to Fiji if their country is swamped by rising sea levels.

🗺️ Geography

Location

Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

Geographic coordinates

1 25 N, 173 00 E

Map references

Oceania

Area — total

811 sq km

Area — land

811 sq km

Area — water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

Four times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries — total

0 km

Coastline

1,143 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Climate

Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain

Mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Elevation — highest point

Unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m

Elevation — lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Elevation — mean elevation

2 m

Natural resources

Phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish

Land use — agricultural land

42% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 2.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 39.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

Land use — forest

1.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

56.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Population distribution

Consists of three archipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

Natural hazards

Typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level

Geography - note

21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean -- the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru; Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western)

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

116,545 (2024 est.)

Population — male

56,364

Population — female

60,181

Nationality — noun

I-Kiribati (singular and plural)

Nationality — adjective

Kiribati

Ethnic groups

I-Kiribati 95.78%, I-Kiribati/mixed 3.8%, Tuvaluan 0.2%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Languages

Gilbertese, English (official)

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

26.8% (male 15,895/female 15,304)

Age structure — 15-64 years

67.9% (male 38,046/female 41,059)

Age structure — 65 years and over

5.4% (2024 est.) (male 2,423/female 3,818)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

47.3 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

39.4 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

7.9 (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

12.7 (2024 est.)

Median age — total

27.7 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

26.4 years

Median age — female

28.2 years

Population growth rate

0.98% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

19.4 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-2.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

Consists of three archipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

Urbanization — urban population

57.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

64,000 TARAWA (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.63 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.1 years (2009 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

80 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

30.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

33.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

29.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

68.5 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

65.9 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

71.3 years

Total fertility rate

2.13 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.04 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 87.9% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 59.5% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 75.7% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 12.1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 40.5% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 24.3% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

14.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

9.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 72.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 48.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 62.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 27.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 51.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 37.9% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

46% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

0.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

0.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

35.4% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

48.4% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

23.6% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.9% (2018 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67.4% (2020 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

2.4% (2019)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

18.4% (2019)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

8.6% (2019)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

16.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

20.1% national budget (2024 est.)

Literacy — total population

98.6% (2020 est.)

Literacy — male

98.6% (2020 est.)

Literacy — female

98.9% (2020 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to overcrowding mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; coastal erosion

International environmental agreements — party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

None of the selected agreements

Climate

Tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Land use — agricultural land

42% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 2.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 39.5% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

Land use — forest

1.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

56.7% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

57.8% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

81,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

81,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

35,700 tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

15.4% (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Republic of Kiribati

Country name — conventional short form

Kiribati

Country name — local long form

Republic of Kiribati

Country name — local short form

Kiribati

Country name — former

Gilbert Islands

Country name — etymology

The name is the local pronunciation of "Gilbert," the former designation of the islands; originally named after explorer Thomas GILBERT, who mapped many of the islands in 1788

Government type

Presidential republic

Capital — name

Tarawa

Capital — geographic coordinates

1 21 N, 173 02 E

Capital — time difference

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Capital — time zone note

Kiribati has three time zones: the Gilbert Islands group at UTC+12, the Phoenix Islands at UTC+13, and the Line Islands at UTC+14

Capital — etymology

The name is said to derive from the I-Kiribati words te (the) and rawa (run), referring to a channel through a nearby reef

Administrative divisions

3 geographical units: Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; there are no first-order administrative divisions, but the 6 districts are Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa, with 21 island councils on Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina

Legal system

English common law supplemented by customary law

Constitution — history

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (pre-independence); latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence)

Constitution — amendment process

Proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; passage of amendments affecting the constitutional section on amendment procedures and parts of the constitutional chapter on citizenship requires deferral of the proposal to the next Assembly meeting where approval is required by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and support of the nominated or elected Banaban member of the Assembly; amendments affecting the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms also requires approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

At least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Kiribati

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)

Executive branch — head of government

President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)

Executive branch — cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms) by simple-majority popular vote, after candidates are nominated from among House of Assembly members; vice president appointed by the president

Executive branch — most recent election date

25 October 2024

Executive branch — election results

2024: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 55%, Kaotitaake KOKORIA (independent) 42%, Bautaake BEIA (TKP) 3% 2020: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 59.3%, Banuera BERINA (BKM) 40.7%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

2028

Legislative branch — legislature name

House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Unicameral

Legislative branch — number of seats

45 (44 directly elected; 1 appointed)

Legislative branch — electoral system

Plurality/majority

Legislative branch — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch — term in office

4 years

Legislative branch — most recent election date

8/14/2024 to 8/19/2024

Legislative branch — percentage of women in chamber

11.1%

Legislative branch — expected date of next election

August 2028

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president)

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

Chief justice appointed by the president on the advice of the cabinet in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC); other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice along with the PSC

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts

Political parties

Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party or BKM Kiribati Moa Party or KMP Kamanoan Kiribati Party or KKP Tobwaan Kiribati Party or TKP

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Teburoro TITO (since 24 January 2018); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

685 Third Avenue, Suite 1109, New York, NY 10017

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (212) 867-3310

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (212) 867-3320

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Kimission.newyork@mfa.gov.ki

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Marie DAMOUR (since 6 December 2022); note - Ambassador DAMOUR is based in the US Embassy in the Republic of Fiji and is accredited to Kiribati as well as Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Independence

12 July 1979 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Flag

Description: the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three wavy horizontal white stripes to represent the Pacific Ocean meaning: the white stripes represent the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix island groups; the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island); the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom

National symbol(s)

Frigatebird

National color(s)

Red, white, blue, yellow

National anthem(s) — title

"Teirake kaini Kiribati" (Stand Up, Kiribati)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Urium Tamuera IOTEBA

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 1979

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

1 (natural)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Phoenix Islands Protected Area

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Lower-middle income, Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; sizable remittances; key phosphate mining fund; tourism and fishing industries; public sector-dominated economy; recent withdrawal from Pacific Islands Forum; ongoing constitutional crisis

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$438.143 million (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$416.221 million (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$405.468 million (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

5.3% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.6% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,300 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$3,100 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$3,100 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$307.863 million (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.3% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.3% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.1% (2021 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

27.8% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

9.9% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

65.7% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

101.2% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

61.7% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

19.1% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

1.3% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

7.6% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-100.5% (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

Coconuts, bananas, vegetables, taro, tropical fruits, pork, chicken, nuts, eggs, pork offal (2023)

Industries

Fishing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate

-6.2% (2022 est.)

Population below poverty line

21.9% (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

27.8 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

4% (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

22.8% (2019 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

10.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

4.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$260.557 million (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$264.736 million (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

22.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$5.117 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$32.523 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2021

$20.251 million (2021 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$17.099 million (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$20.58 million (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$10.754 million (2021 est.)

Exports - partners

Thailand 85%, Japan 6%, Philippines 3%, UAE 2%, Fiji 1% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Fish, coconut oil (2023)

Imports — Imports 2023

$293.624 million (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$272.004 million (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$201.984 million (2021 est.)

Imports - partners

China 24%, Australia 20%, Fiji 15%, Japan 7%, NZ 6% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Ships, centrifuges, refined petroleum, rice, raw sugar (2023)

Exchange rates — Currency

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

1.515 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

1.505 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

1.442 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

1.331 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

1.453 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

94.4% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

86%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

94.3% (2020 est.)

Electricity — installed generating capacity

12,000 kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

27.388 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

5 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

81.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

18.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

500 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

8.578 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

0 (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

70,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

49 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

Multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM, FM, and shortwave (2017)

Internet country code

.ki

Internet users — percent of population

88% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

0 (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2023 est.) less than 1

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T3

Airports

21 (2025)

Merchant marine — total

74 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

Bulk carrier 2, general cargo 24, oil tanker 11, other 37

Ports — total ports

3 (2024)

Ports — large

0

Ports — medium

0

Ports — small

0

Ports — very small

3

Ports — ports with oil terminals

0

Ports — key ports

Canton Island, English Harbor, Tarawa Atoll

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

Kiribati Police Service (includes Maritime Police) (2025)

Military - note

Australia, NZ, and the US have provided security assistance; Kiribati has a "ship rider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Kiribati's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; ship rider agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)