Mauri! Welcome to the nation that rings in the New Year before anyone else—Kiribati (pronounced Keer-ih-bahss), a remote and beautiful nation in the central Pacific Ocean made up of 33 coral atolls and one raised coral island. There are around 140,000 people living here, and the capital is South Tarawa, a narrow strip of land between the turquoise lagoon and the deep blue ocean. The official languages are Gilbertese and English.

Kiribati covers a total land area of just 811 square kilometers (313 square miles), making it about five times the size of Washington, D.C. However, its islands are scattered across an incredible 3.5 million square kilometers of ocean. It is the only country in the world to be situated in all four hemispheres: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western.

The most popular sports are Football (that’s soccer) and Weightlifting, with the nation celebrating its first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in lifting back in 2014. Their national bird is the Frigatebird, which is featured prominently on their national symbols.

The flag features a red upper half with a gold frigatebird flying over a rising sun and a blue-and-white wavy lower half, where the wavy lines represent the Pacific Ocean and the sun symbolizes the equator and a bright future.

The food is centered around the treasures of the sea and the hardy plants that grow in coral sand. You must try Te Bua Toro Ni Bau, a traditional dish made from pumpkin, cabbage, and meat, or fresh Raw Fish marinated in coconut cream. Coconut and Pandanus fruit are staples of the diet, used in everything from main courses to sweet desserts.

Kiribati is home to the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, one of the largest marine protected areas on the planet and a UNESCO World Heritage site teeming with untouched coral reefs and bird life. Because it is located right on the International Date Line (which was specially adjusted for the country), the Line Islands of Kiribati are the first inhabited places on Earth to see the sunrise of a new day. Sadly, Kiribati is also on the front lines of climate change; as one of the lowest-lying nations in the world, it faces significant challenges from rising sea levels, leading the government to purchase land in Fiji as a potential future refuge.

From the world-class bonefishing on Christmas Island (Kiritimati) to the traditional maneaba (meeting houses) where community life happens, Kiribati is a land of vast horizons and seafaring spirit. Kam rabwa! That means “Thank you!”