Kiribati is an English speaking nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean a fair distance to the east of Papua New Guinea. It gained its independence from Britain in 1979.
At 313 sq mi and a population of 110,000, it is one of the world's smallest countries (although its islands are scattered over an area the size of India).
Along with Tonga and Samoa, it is the first country to see in each new day and year.
Here is how Kiribati welcomed in 2000: