In the career of the Pacific to Usher in Millennium, a jog line Dateline

In the career of the Pacific to Usher in Millennium, a jog line date - New York TimesHome PaperVideoMost PopularTimes TopicsMost RecentHelpRegister NowLogin of the PageToday global search of all tips collections Millennium algorithm in Pacific career to Usher in Millennium, a line Dateline JogBy Nicholas D. KRISTOF
Published: 23 March, single-page print 1997 log on for e-mail

TARAWA, Kiribati:Miles and miles of nothing in the Pacific, this small island nation is a place of drowsiness where fishermen barefoot run is on coral reefs in canoes stabilizer.

Almost nobody visits Kiribati and thirsty aliens and local residents are turning dreams of the next port, country, ship recently stayed without beer.

However, while initially the Kiribati may appear backwards, in a way is ahead of all other countries in the world - hours ahead. Due to a bit of fiddling with the international date line, each new day apparently now begins in Kiribati.

This means that Kiribati tiny, presumably to send beer then rather than hold the party at the beginning of all parts, the first celebration of the new year January 1, 2000. Kiribati, which few people have heard of, and still less can pronounce, insists that has become the international line date so that it will be the first country to announce to the world in the next millennium.

"We are working hard to make this a remarkable event," said President Teburoro Tito, transmit. "We want the world to see Kiribati. We want to put on the map of Kiribati. "

However while Kiribati (pronounced KIH-rih-bahss) insists that it will be the first country to reach midnight on December 31, 1999, as well as the first to see the following output from the Sun, rivals are crying foul. Other countries New Zealand to Fiji, Tonga say Millennium party must be yours.

Each claimant sits near 180 degrees longitude line and the line date zigs zags of bookmarks. Everyone expected that thousands of people will decline on its shores to welcome the new millennium, initiating a boom in tourism that will lead to the local economy well into the next century. Pacific Island Nations have few other than tourism, economic opportunities it's a joust which determine its prosperity for decades to come.

"Tonga is going to make this a great celebration," said Simote Poulivaati, Secretary of the Association of tourism of Tonga. "We believe that this will be the beginning and Tonga will go from hence and tourism will be much larger".

The dispute arose because Kiribati President Tito had fulfilled a campaign promise to two years to move the date far eastward, away from the line of 180 degrees, line by passing around of Kiribati. Until then, the line short date in the country, so "today" doesn't mean the same part of Kiribati to the next.

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