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What country lies closest to the International Date Line?
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Answer

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Step 1:
: To determine the country closest to the International Date Line, we first need to understand what the International Date Line (IDL) is.

The IDL is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole and represents the boundary between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Step 2:
: The IDL generally follows the 180° longitude line but deviates around some territories and island groups to avoid splitting countries or island groups into different days.

Step 3:
: Given this information, we can infer that the countries closest to the IDL are located along the 180° longitude line.

Some of these countries include Russia (east of the IDL), Kiribati (includes the Line Islands, which cross the IDL), and the United States (Wake Island, west of the IDL).

Step 4:
: Among these countries, the one that lies closest to the IDL is Kiribati's Line Islands, specifically the island of Caroline Island (also known as Millennium Island).

Caroline Island is the easternmost point of Kiribati and is the closest landmass to the IDL.

Final Answer

Kiribati's Caroline Island (Millennium Island) lies closest to the International Date Line.