Gilbert Islands separated, and the Gilberts became the Gilbert Islands colony, which issued stamps under that name. In 1979, the Gilberts opted for independence, becoming the independent nation of Kiribati. The Ellice Islands became the independent nation of Tuvalu. Asian Development Bank. (2009b). Kiribati’s political economy and capacity development [Online]. Available: http://www.adb.org/documents/reports/KIR-Political-Economy-Capacity-Development/KIR-Economic-Development.pdf (accessed 6 February 2012). Bedford, R., Macdonald, B., & Munro, D. (1980). Population estimates for Kiribati and Tuvalu, 1850-1900: Review and speculation. Journal of the Polynesian Society, 89, 199-246. Borovnik, M. (2006). Working overseas: Seafarers' remittances and their distribution in Kiribati. Asian Pacific Viewpoint, 47, 151-161. Burnett, G. (2005). Language
Rugby union in the Marshall Islands population and geographical factors - their population is 61,963, and lives on 29 coral atolls and 5 isolated islands in the South Pacific Ocean. All of this makes a rugby infrastructure difficult to construct, and the islands are beset by rising sea levels. The geographic future of the Marshall Islands depends on the height of the ocean. No significant land is more than two metres above high water of ordinary tides. This means they are particularly vulnerable to any possible sea level rises caused by global warming. There is also a lack of land for specifically designated rugby pitches. Much