The Republic of Kiribati, a sovereign state in Micronesia in the central Pacific Ocean, bought land on the island of Vanua Levu from Fiji in 2014. The land was purchased as a potential refuge for the Kiribati people when the Pacific islands they currently live on become submerged as a result of climate change.

Kiribati's president Anote Tong bought 20 square km (7.7 square miles) of land on Vanua Levu, which lies 1,240 miles away, for the equivalent of $11 million in today's money.

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