How many letters does the top answer for “an island republic in the west central pacific just to the south of the equator” have?

The most common answer is kiribati (8 letters).

Crossword clue: an island republic in the west central pacific just to the south of the equator

1 answer found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

kiribati 8 letters wn-def

an island republic in the west central Pacific just to the south of the equator