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The country was originally called the Gilbert Islands when it was still under British rule

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The country was originally called the Gilbert Islands when it was still under British rule. The local natives, later on, joined Kiribati from the name “Gilbert”. Today, the country has a population of slightly over 100,000 (U.S Department of State, 2012). The majority of the island’s inhabitants are of the Kiribati descent, and they practice Micronesian culture. It is believed that the first inhabitants of the islands arrived there more than three thousand years ago. Later on Samoans, Togoans and Fijians invaded the islands and brought with them elements of Polynesian and Melanesian culture into the area through intermarriages. British explorers, however, discovered the island much later during the 18th century. The islands were named after one of the two British explorers, Gilbert. More islands were later found to the north, and these took the name ‘Marshalls’ after the second explorer.

One resoundingly unique element in the Kiribati culture is the free-spirited nature of daily activities unconstrained by time pressures. In Kiribati, life takes on a pace that is natural and unperturbed about the future. Most economic practices aim to sustain the daily livelihood of families and the community in general. Communal, social events also take on a prominent role in the people’s lives. Some of these communal, social events are dances and martial arts contests.