Republic of Kiribati, an island nation in Micronesia, sub-region of Oceania in central Pacific Ocean, became the first place to enter 2026 at 3:30 pm IST. Kiribati has population of about 1.3 lakh and consists of 33 coral atolls spread across a vast ocean area. Howland and Baker Islands will become the last places to enter 2026 on January 1.