86-600: Bikenibeu is a settlement in Kiribati . It is located close to the southeastern corner of the Tarawa atoll , part of the island country of Kiribati . It is part of a nearly continuous chain of settlements along the islands of South Tarawa , which are now linked by causeways . The low-lying atoll is vulnerable to sea level rise . Rapid population growth has caused some environmental problems. Kiribati's main government high school, King George V and Elaine Bernachi School ,
172-656: A British protectorate , along with the nearby Ellice Islands . They were administered by a resident commissioner based first on Makin Islands (1893–95), then in Betio , Tarawa (1896–1908) and Ocean Island (1908–1942), protectorate who was under the Western Pacific High Commission (WPHC) based in Fiji. Banaba , known to Europeans as Ocean Island, was added to the protectorate in 1900, because of
258-456: A US Embassy . The current U.S. Embassy responsible for Kiribati is located in Suva, Fiji . In November 1999, Kiribati agreed to allow Japan's National Space Development Agency to lease land on Kiritimati (formerly Christmas Island) for 20 years, on which to build a spaceport . The agreement stipulated that Japan was to pay US$ 840,000 per year and would also pay for any damage to roads and
344-435: A parliamentary democratic republic. The executive branch consists of a president ( te Beretitenti ), a vice-president and a cabinet . The president, who is also chief of the cabinet, is directly elected by the citizens, after the legislature nominates three or four persons from among its members to be candidates in the ensuing presidential election. The president is limited to serving three four-year terms, and remains
430-711: A 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati ( ratified in 1983 ). Although the indigenous Gilbertese name for the Gilbert Islands proper is "Tungaru", the new state chose the name "Kiribati", the Gilbertese spelling of "Gilberts", because it was more modern and as an equivalent of the former colony to acknowledge the inclusion of Banaba, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands . The last two archipelagoes were never initially occupied by Gilbertese until
516-589: A cholera epidemic in 1977 a reticulated sewerage system was installed, using sea water as the conveyance medium. The King George V school was moved from temporary buildings at Abemama and established in a new building in Bikenibeu in June 1953. The Elaine Bernacchi Secondary School for girls opened 1959, named after the wife of the Resident Commissioner at the time, Michael Bernacchi . Also in
602-493: A cost of 9.3 million Australian dollars. In March 2016, Taneti Maamau was elected as the new President of Kiribati. He was the fifth president since the country became independent in 1979. In June 2020, President Maamau won re-election for a second four-year term. President Maamau was considered pro-China and he supported closer ties with Beijing. On 16 November 2021, the Kiribati government announced it would expose
688-532: A factor, with acquisition of land being the main form of conquest. Clans and chiefs began fighting over resources, fueled by hatred and reignited blood feuds, which may have started months, years, or even decades before. The turmoil lasted well into the European visitation and colonial era, which led to certain islands decimating their foes with the help of guns and cannon-equipped ships that Europeans provided to some I-Kiribati leaders. The typical military arms of
774-420: A group of seafaring people from Melanesia , who were described as being dark-skinned, frizzy-haired, and short in stature. These indigenous peoples were then visited by early Austronesian seafarers from the west, a place called Matang, orally described as being tall and fair-skinned. Eventually, both groups intermittently clashed and intermingled until they slowly became a uniform population. Around 1300 CE,
860-432: A mass departure occurred from Samoa leading to the addition of Polynesian ancestry into the mix of most Gilbertese people. These Samoans later brought strong features of Polynesian languages and culture, creating clans based on their own Samoan traditions and slowly intertwining with the indigenous clans and powers already dominant in Kiribati. Around the 15th century, starkly contrasting systems of governance arose between
946-568: A member of the assembly. The cabinet is composed of the president, vice-president, and 13 ministers (appointed by the president) who are also members of parliament . The legislative branch is the unicameral Maneaba ni Maungatabu (House of Assembly). Its members are elected, including by constitutional mandate, a nominated representative of the Banaban people in Rabi Island , Fiji (Banaba, former Ocean Island), in addition to, until 2016,
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#17327759992881032-634: A new embassy in Kiribati and Tonga and reestablish the Peace Corps presence in the region. Law enforcement in Kiribati is carried out by the Kiribati Police Service which is responsible for all law enforcement and paramilitary duties for the island nation. There are police posts located on all of the islands. The police have one patrol boat, the Guardian-class patrol boat RKS Teanoai II . The main prison in Kiribati
1118-423: A population of 3,299 as of 2015 . The islets surround a deep lagoon. The eastern part of the atoll of Abemama is linked together by causeways making automobile traffic possible between the different islets. The outlying islands of Abatiku and Biike are situated on the southwestern side of the atoll. The village of Kariatebike serves as the government center for the atoll which includes an administration building,
1204-440: A rise of .95 metres (3 ft 1 in) the tide would flood the entire island. As of 2000, the lagoon away from the shore was still relatively free of human contaminants. However, the causeways linking the islands of South Tarawa have contributed to increasing pollution in the lagoon. The coral reefs provide natural protection to the coastline, important if sea levels rise. A 2000 report noted large numbers of dead corals on
1290-548: Is also a Catholic church dedicated to Saint Peter, and a number of smaller Catholic and Protestant churches and maneaba . Located on the lagoon side of the island, Otintaai is the only hotel in Bikenibeu with modern amenities. Te Umanibong , a cultural centre that features local artefacts, is open weekdays. Bikenibeu Post Office opened on 1 July 1958. Notes Citations Sources Kiribati Kiribati ( / ˈ k ɪr ɪ b æ s / KIRR -i-bass , Gilbertese: [kiɾibas] ), officially
1376-409: Is an average of 3.25 metres (10.7 ft) above sea level on the ocean side, and 2.38 metres (7 ft 10 in) at the lagoon side. Tidal flats on the ocean side extend for 160 metres (520 ft). ACLR ( Accelerated Sea-Level Rise ) is a serious concern. In a scenario where a sea level rise of .5 metres (1 ft 8 in) occurs, 71% of Bikenibeu would be flooded by a spring high tide. With
1462-409: Is expected to be the first country to lose all its land territory to climate change . In June 2008, Kiribati President Anote Tong said that the country had reached "the point of no return." He added, "To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful but I think we have to do that." In January 2012, Anote Tong was re-elected for a third and last successive term. In early 2012,
1548-625: Is located in Betio , named the Walter Betio Prison. There is also a prison in London on Kiritimati . Male homosexuality is illegal in Kiribati, with a penalty up to 14 years in prison, according to a historical British law; however, this law is not enforced. Kiribati has not yet followed the lead of the United Kingdom, following its Wolfenden report , to decriminalise acts of male homosexuality, beginning with provisions in
1634-549: Is located in Bikenibeu, as well as the Ministries of Environment and Education . Bikenibeu is one of the three main urban centres in South Tarawa, the others being Betio and Teaoraereke . Starting in 1963, causeways began to be built between the islands of the atoll to make communications easier. The causeways connected Bairiki to Bikenibeu by 1963, and extended from Bikenibeu to Bonriki by 1964, when flights began from
1720-621: Is no longer divided into districts (see Subdivisions of Kiribati ). Kiribati has formal political parties but their organisation is quite informal. Ad hoc opposition groups tend to coalesce around specific issues. There is universal suffrage at age 18. Today the only recognisable parties are the Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party , former Boutokaan te Koaua , and Tobwaan Kiribati Party . Kiribati maintains close relations with its Pacific neighbours, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Fiji. The first three of these provide
1806-628: Is pronounced / iː ˈ k ɪr ɪ b æ s / ee- KIRR -i-bass . The name Kiribati was adopted upon the country's independence in 1979. It is the Gilbertese rendition of Gilberts, the plural of the English name of the nation's main archipelago, the Gilbert Islands . It was named îles Gilbert ( French for 'Gilbert Islands') in about 1820 by Russian admiral Adam von Krusenstern and French captain Louis Duperrey , after
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#17327759992881892-427: Is the country's main hospital for medicine, surgery and anaesthetics, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and psychiatry, and includes a laboratory, pharmacy and x-ray facility. The general hospital has 160 beds. There is also a dental clinic. A power plant in Bikenibeu provides a mains electrical service; the hospital at Nawerewere is supplied by the grid, and also had back-up power for essential services. After
1978-714: Is the tomb of tyrant-chief Tem Binoka , who was immortalized by Stevenson in his account of the 1889 voyage of the Equator published as In the South Seas Robert Louis Stevenson, Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne returned to Abemama in July 1890 during their cruise on the trading steamer the Janet Nicoll . Japan occupied the Gilberts on 9 December 1941. On 21 November 1943,
2064-619: The Baháʼí Faith came to Kiribati in 1954, setting up their first centre in Abaiang . The Baháʼí Faith was recognised as a legal religion in 1955. The Baháʼís moved to Bikenibeu in 1957, where they established a centre and housing for resident or travelling teachers. In 1967, the Kiribati Baháʼís set up an independent National Spiritual Assembly with headquarters in Bikenibeu. The Baháʼí Faith in Kiribati claimed 4,000 members in 1985. There
2150-482: The Gilbert Islands and places them in the most advanced time zone on Earth: UTC+14 . Kiribati gained its independence from the United Kingdom, becoming a sovereign state in 1979. The capital, South Tarawa , now the most populated area, consists of a number of islets, connected by a series of causeways . These comprise about half the area of Tarawa Atoll . Prior to its independence the country exported phosphate , but those mines are no longer viable. Fisheries and
2236-638: The Republic of Kiribati ( Gilbertese : Ribaberiki Kiribati ), is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean . Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, with more than half living on Tarawa atoll . The state comprises 32 atolls and one remote raised coral island , Banaba . Its total land area is 811 km (313 sq mi) dispersed over 3,441,810 km (1,328,890 sq mi) of ocean . The islands' spread straddles
2322-622: The Tarawa Climate Change Conference (TCCC) to support the president of Kiribati's initiative to hold a consultative forum between vulnerable states and their partners. The conference strove to create an enabling environment for multi-party negotiations under the auspices of the UNFCCC. The conference was a successor event to the Climate Vulnerable Forum. The ultimate objective of TCCC was to reduce
2408-523: The UNFCCC conferences of the parties (COP). Kiribati is a member of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), an intergovernmental organisation of low-lying coastal and small island countries. Established in 1990, the main purpose of the alliance is to consolidate the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to address global warming. AOSIS has been very active from its inception, putting forward
2494-498: The crown colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1916. The Northern Line Islands, including Christmas Island ( Kiritimati ), were added to the colony in 1919, and the Phoenix Islands were added in 1937 with the purpose of a Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme . On 12 July 1940, Pan Am Airways' American Clipper landed at Canton Island for the first time during a flight from Honolulu to Auckland . Sir Arthur Grimble
2580-468: The equator and the 180th meridian , making Kiribati the only country in the world located simultaneously in all four hemispheres: the Northern , Southern , Western , and Eastern hemispheres. The International Date Line goes around Kiribati and swings far to the east, almost reaching 150°W . This brings Kiribati's easternmost islands, the southern Line Islands south of Hawaii, into the same day as
2666-506: The phosphate rock of its soil (discovered in 1900). This discovery and the mining provided a significant amount of revenue, in the form of taxes and duties, to the WPHC. The conduct of William Telfer Campbell , the second resident commissioner of the Gilberts and Ellice Islands of 1896 to 1908, was criticised as to his legislative, judicial and administrative management (including allegations of forced labour exacted from islanders) and became
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2752-733: The "unclaimed" central Pacific, leaving Nauru in the German sphere of influence, while Ocean Island and the future GEIC wound up in the British sphere of influence . In 1892, local Gilbertese authorities (an uea , a chief from the Northern Gilbert Group, and atun te boti or head of clan ) on each of the Gilbert Islands agreed to Captain Edward Davis commanding HMS Royalist of the Royal Navy declaring them part of
2838-566: The 1830s; they included beachcombers , castaways, traders, and missionaries. Dr Hiram Bingham II of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) arrived on Abaiang in 1857. The Roman Catholic faith was introduced on Nonouti around 1880 by 2 Gilbert islanders, Betero and Tiroi, who had become Christians in Tahiti. Father Joseph Leray, Father Edward Bontemps and Brother Conrad Weber, Roman Catholic Missionaries of
2924-722: The American submarine USS Nautilus landed a company of 78 U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Scouts with Australian Army Lt George Hand formerly of the Ocean Island Defence Force acting as an interpreter to seize the island. They defeated the Japanese garrison with fire support from Nautilus . On the morning of 25 November, a native reported to the Marines that the remaining Japanese committed suicide. The US Navy built Naval Base Abemama on
3010-705: The British captain Thomas Gilbert . Gilbert and captain John Marshall sighted some of the islands in 1788, while crossing the "outer passage" route from Port Jackson to Canton . Both von Krusenstern's and Duperrey's maps, published in 1824, were written in French. In French, the Northern Islands were until then called îles Mulgrave and Byron Island was not part of them. In English,
3096-474: The British authorities, and later the Republic Government, resettled Gilbertese there under resettlement schemes. In 1982, the first elections since independence were held. A no-confidence vote provoked the 1983 new election . In the post-independence era, overcrowding has been an issue, at least in British and aid organisations' eyes. In 1988, an announcement was made that 4,700 residents of
3182-477: The I-Kiribati at this time were shark tooth-embedded wooden spears, knives, and swords, and garbs of armour fashioned from dense coconut fibre. They chiefly used these instead of the gunpowder and weapons of steel available at the time, because of the strong sentimental value of the equipment handed down through generations. Ranged weapons, such as bows, slings, and javelins, were seldom used; hand-to-hand combat
3268-540: The Islands, as many as 45 in a given year. Activities included assisting in the planning, design and construction of wells, libraries, and other infrastructure, and agricultural, environmental, and community health education. In 2006, volunteer placement was significantly scaled down due to the reduction of consistent air transportation to the outer islands; it was later ended because the associated ability to provide medical care to volunteers could not be assured. In July 2022, US Vice President Harris announced plans to build
3354-580: The Japanese military in late 1943 involved one of the bloodiest battles in US Marine Corps history. Marines landed in November 1943 and the Battle of Tarawa ensued. Ocean Island , the headquarters of the colony, was bombed, evacuated and occupied by Japan in 1942 and not freed until 1945, after the massacre of all but one of the Gilbertese on the island by the Japanese forces. Funafuti hosted then
3440-558: The Line Islands, including Howland , Jarvis , and Baker islands, thus causing a territorial dispute. That was eventually resolved and they finally became part of Kiribati under the Treaty of Tarawa . After the attack on Pearl Harbor , during World War II , Butaritari and Tarawa, and others of the Northern Gilbert group, were occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1943. Betio became an airfield and supply base. The expulsion of
3526-556: The Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . On 20 September 2019, the government of Kiribati restored its diplomatic relationship with the People's Republic of China and simultaneously stopped its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. China offered a 737 aircraft and ferries to Kiribati for the decision, according to Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu . From 1973 until 2008, a total of almost 500 US Peace Corps volunteers were based on
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3612-603: The Sacred Heart arrived on Nonouti in 1888. The Protestant missionaries of the London Missionary Society (LMS) were also active in the southern Gilberts. On 15 October 1870, Rev. Samuel James Whitmee of the LMS arrived at Arorae , and later that month he visited Tamana , Onotoa and Beru . In August 1872, George Pratt of the LMS visited the islands. In 1886, an Anglo-German agreement partitioned
3698-527: The South Seas , which delved into the high chief's character and method of rule during Stevenson's stay in Abemama. The 90th anniversary of his arrival in the Gilbert Islands was chosen to celebrate the independence of Kiribati on 12 July 1979. Chance visits by European ships occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries, while those ships attempted circumnavigations of the world, or sought sailing routes from
3784-626: The UK's Sexual Offences Act 1957. Female homosexuality is legal, but lesbians may face violence and discrimination. However, employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited. Abemama Abemama ( Apamama ) is an atoll, one of the Gilberts group in Kiribati , and is located 152 kilometres (94 miles) southeast of Tarawa and just north of the Equator. Abemama has an area of 27.37 square kilometres (10.57 square miles) and
3870-697: The archipelago, particularly the southern part, was often referred to as the Kingsmills in the 19th century, although the name Gilbert Islands was used increasingly, including in the Western Pacific Order in Council of 1877 and in the Pacific Order of 1893. The name Gilbert , already in the name of the British protectorate since 1892, was incorporated into the name of the entire Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (GEIC) from 1916 and
3956-574: The attorney general, who served as an ex officio member from 1979 to 2016. Legislators serve for a four-year term. The constitutional provisions governing administration of justice are similar to those in other former British colonies in that the judiciary is free from governmental interference. The judicial branch is made up of the High Court (in Betio) and the Court of Appeal. The president appoints
4042-601: The bulk of the country's foreign aid. Taiwan and Japan also have specified-period licences to fish in Kiribati's waters. There are three resident diplomatic missions headquartered in South Tarawa : the Embassies of the Republic of China (Taiwan) until 2019, replaced by People's Republic of China in 2020 and the High Commissions of Australia and New Zealand . Since 2022, there have been talks of opening
4128-636: The chiefly family of Abemama as "the Gilbert Islands ruling family" but local sources recognise that the unimwane wield much of the power even on Abemama, and governing the whole of the Gilbert Islands as a single unit is a logistical challenge even in modern times. Abemama is known as the island where the declaration of a British Protectorate was first proclaimed by Captain Edward Davis of HMS Royalist (1883) on 27 May 1892. Abemama Post Office opened around 1910. Robert Louis Stevenson , Fanny Vandegrift Stevenson and her son Lloyd Osbourne spent 2 months on Abemama in 1889. Near Tabontebike
4214-612: The claim in a 2014 decision . On further appeal, the New Zealand Supreme Court confirmed the earlier adverse rulings against the application for refugee status, but rejected the proposition "that environmental degradation resulting from climate change or other natural disasters could never create a pathway into the Refugee Convention or protected person jurisdiction". In 2017, Kiribati signed the UN treaty on
4300-712: The colony was transferred from Fiji to the new capital of Honiara , to the British Solomon Islands , with the Gilberts' Resident Commissioner still headquartered in Tarawa. Further military operations in the colony occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960s when Christmas Island was used by the United States and United Kingdom for nuclear weapons testing including hydrogen bombs . Institutions of internal self-rule were established on Tarawa from about 1967. The Ellice Islands asked for separation from
4386-457: The country was written down in 1952 by Ernest Sabatier in his comprehensive Dictionnaire gilbertin–français . The indigenous name often suggested for the Gilbert Islands proper is Tungaru (see e.g., Ernest Sabatier , 1952–1953, or Arthur Grimble , 1989 ). The rendition Kiribati for Gilberts was chosen as the official name of the new independent state by the chief minister, Sir Ieremia Tabai and his cabinet , on such grounds that it
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#17327759992884472-493: The environment. A Japanese-built downrange tracking station operates on Kiritimati and an abandoned airfield on the island was designated as the landing strip for a proposed reusable unmanned space shuttle called HOPE-X . HOPE-X, however, was eventually cancelled by Japan in 2003. As one of the world's most vulnerable nations to the effects of global warming , Kiribati has been an active participant in international diplomatic efforts relating to climate change, most importantly
4558-780: The export of copra drive much of the economy. Kiribati is one of the least developed countries in the world and is highly dependent on international aid for its economy. Kiribati is a member of the Pacific Community , Commonwealth of Nations , the International Monetary Fund , the World Bank , and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States , and became a full member of the United Nations in 1999. As an island nation,
4644-429: The first commercial international flight in two years included 36 passengers who tested positive. In 2024, 5,085 Coronavirus Cases were reported which causes 24 deaths and 2,703 were recovered. On 29 January 2023, Kiribati confirmed its intention to rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum , ending a bitter two-year leadership split. The Constitution of Kiribati , promulgated 12 July 1979, provides for free and open elections in
4730-465: The first draft text in the Kyoto Protocol negotiations as early as 1994. In 2009, President Tong attended the Climate Vulnerable Forum ( V11 ) in the Maldives , with 10 other countries that are vulnerable to climate change , and signed the Bandos Island declaration on 10 November 2009, pledging to show moral leadership and commence greening their economies by voluntarily committing to achieving carbon neutrality . In November 2010, Kiribati hosted
4816-448: The globe completely within the British Empire. The location of Fanning Island, one of the closest formations to Hawaii, led to its annexation by the British Empire in 1888. Nearby candidates including Palmyra Island were not favoured due to the lack of adequate landing sites. The United States eventually incorporated the Northern Line Islands into its territories, and did the same with the Phoenix Islands , which lie between Gilberts and
4902-453: The government of Kiribati purchased the 2,200-hectare Natoavatu Estate on the second largest island of Fiji, Vanua Levu . At the time it was widely reported that the government planned to evacuate the entire population of Kiribati to Fiji. In April 2013, President Tong began urging citizens to evacuate the islands and migrate elsewhere. In May 2014, the Office of the President confirmed the purchase of some 5,460 acres of land on Vanua Levu at
4988-556: The government to shut down newspaper publishers. The legislation followed the launching of Kiribati's first successful non-government-run newspaper. President Tito was re-elected in 2003 but was removed from office in March 2003 by a no-confidence vote and replaced by a Council of State. Anote Tong of the opposition party Boutokaan Te Koaua was elected to succeed Tito in July 2003. He was re-elected in 2007 and in 2011. In June 2008, Kiribati officials asked Australia and New Zealand to accept Kiribati citizens as permanent refugees. Kiribati
5074-447: The island and departed in the fall of 1944. Abemama is close to the capital of South Tarawa . Abemama Atoll Airport is located on the north end of Abemama near the village of Tabiang. It has regular connections with the international airport in Tarawa twice weekly, on Wednesday and Sunday. There are three guest houses on Abemama; the Island Council guest house, Chevalier College guest house, and one private lodge. The island has
5160-401: The islands are vulnerable to climate change and tsunamis. Addressing climate change has been a central part of its international policy, as a member of the Alliance of Small Island States . The name is pronounced / ˈ k ɪr ɪ b æ s / KIRR -i-bass , as -ti in the Gilbertese language represents an [ s ] sound. Similarly, the name of its people, the I-Kiribati,
5246-459: The larger Fiji islands, 2,000 km away. A move described by Tong as an "absolute necessity" should the country's territory be completely submerged under water. In 2013, attention was drawn to a claim of a Kiribati man of being a "climate change refugee" under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951). However, this claim was determined by the New Zealand High Court to be untenable. The New Zealand Court of Appeal also rejected
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#17327759992885332-429: The late 1950s, the Tarawa Teachers' College began to operate in Bikenibeu. The two Bikenibeu secondary schools began to be integrated from 1965. They are now a single co-educational school run by the government – KGV/EBS. Education in Kiribati is compulsory and free from age six to fourteen (year 9). Church missions provide secondary education for year 10–13 pupils who fail to be admitted to KGV/EBS. Preachers of
5418-404: The main island group would be resettled onto less populated islands. In September 1994, Teburoro Tito from the opposition was elected president. In 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line far to the east to encompass the Line Islands group, so that the country would no longer be divided by the date line. The move, which fulfilled one of President Tito's campaign promises,
5504-443: The medical and education departments at Bikenibeu. A permanent hospital was built at Bikenibeu in 1956. Several ministries are based in the settlement. These include the Ministry of Education , and the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development. The Ministry of Health and the nursing school are now housed in a new hospital in the neighbouring village of Nawerewere that was built in 1991 with aid from Japan. This
5590-486: The new airport to Fiji . Bikenibeu island lies between the Tarawa Lagoon to the north, with a maximum depth of 25 metres (82 ft), and the Pacific Ocean to the south, with a depth of up to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). The island has been built from sediments from the lagoon. The process of soil accumulation is driven by the dominant easterly trade winds, and can be reversed during extended periods of westerly winds during El Niño–Southern Oscillations . Bikenibeu
5676-534: The north-western end. The other is between Biike and Kenna, the latter being the southernmost end of the main islet. The island is surrounded with an exposed reef at the windward side and submerged reef at the leeward side where Biike and Abatiku are situated. Most of the important food crops in Kiribati such as coconut, giant taro, pandanus and breadfruit grow well in Abemama. Captain Charles Bishop happened upon Abemama in 1799 and referred to it on his map as Roger Simpson Island, after one of his friends. The island
5762-399: The north-western reef, and Biike just south of it, have much smaller populations. The island has a lagoon area and an abundance of lagoon fish, shellfish, and worms. There are also some seaweed farms. Causeways were constructed to link all villages on the main islet. The island resembles an incomplete “G” letter, with two reef passages; one is located in between Abatiku and Tabiang village at
5848-399: The northern islands, primarily under chiefly rule ( uea ), and the central and southern islands, primarily under the rule of their council of elders ( unimwaane ). Tabiteuea could be an exception as the sole island that is known as maintaining a traditional egalitarian society. The name Tabiteuea stems from the root phrase Tabu-te-Uea , meaning "chiefs are forbidden". Civil war soon became
5934-442: The number and intensity of fault lines between parties to the COP process, explore elements of agreement between the parties and thereby to support Kiribati's and other parties' contribution to COP16 held in Cancun , Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. In 2013, President Tong spoke of climate-change induced sea level rise as "inevitable". "For our people to survive, then they will have to migrate. Either we can wait for
6020-427: The police station and a hospital. Abemama was formerly known as Roger Simpson Island, Dundas Island, Hopper Island, or Simpson Island. Abemama has a land area of 27.39 square kilometres (11 square miles) with a width varying from 50 metres (160 feet) to 2 kilometres (1.2 miles). The island has 3 main islets; the largest and main islet has 11 villages and is home to most of the population. Abatiku, an islet located at
6106-427: The presiding judges. Local government is through island councils with elected members. Local affairs are handled in a manner similar to town meetings in colonial America. Island councils make their own estimates of revenue and expenditure and generally are free from central government controls. There are a total of 21 inhabited islands in Kiribati. Each inhabited island has its own council. Since independence, Kiribati
6192-534: The provisional headquarters of the colony from 1942 to 1946, when Tarawa returned to host the headquarters, replacing Ocean Island. At the end of 1945, most of the remaining inhabitants of Banaba, repatriated from Kosrae , Nauru and Tarawa, were relocated to Rabi Island , a land of Fiji that the British government had acquired in 1942 for this purpose. On 1 January 1953, the British Western Pacific High Commissioner of
6278-519: The reef flats on the ocean side, apparently due to past discharges of sewerage. The causeways and land reclamation have also affected the reef environment. Other environmental problems caused by the growing population include over-fishing and reduction of useful plants and trees such as coconuts . As of 1996, South Tarawa was almost continuously settled from the Bonriki International Airport through Bikenibeu to Bairiki in
6364-593: The rest of the colony in 1974 and granted their own internal self-rule institutions. The separation entered into force on 1 January 1976. In 1978, the Ellice Islands became the independent state of Tuvalu . The Gilbert Islands gained independence as the Republic of Kiribati on 12 July 1979. Then, in September, the United States relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Islands, in
6450-578: The south to north Pacific Ocean. A passing trade, whaling the On-The-Line grounds, and labour ships associated with the coercive labour recruitment practices, known as blackbirding . This recruitment of Kanaka workers in large numbers during the 19th century, had social, economic, political, religious and cultural consequences. More than 9,000 workers were sent abroad from 1845 to 1895, most of them not returning. The passing trade gave rise to European, Indian, Chinese, Samoan, and other residents from
6536-493: The subject of the 1909 report by Arthur Mahaffy . In 1913, an anonymous correspondent to The New Age newspaper described the maladministration of W. Telfer Campbell and challenged the impartiality of Arthur Mahaffy, because he was a former colonial official in the Gilberts. The anonymous correspondent also criticised the operations of the Pacific Phosphate Company on Ocean Island. The islands became
6622-428: The time when we have to move people en masse or we can prepare them—beginning from now ..." In New York in 2014, per The New Yorker , President Tong told The New York Times that "according to the projections, within this century, the water will be higher than the highest point in our lands". In 2014, President Tong finalised the purchase of a 20 km (7.7 sq mi) stretch of land on Vanua Levu , one of
6708-425: The west. In 1996, there were 4,885 people living on Bikenibeu island, with an area of 1.81 square kilometres (0.70 sq mi). As of 2005, the population was 6,170, living in 831 households. By 2010, the population had grown to 6,568. Migration and population pressure has caused a number of families to build homes on vacant land, becoming squatters . In 1953, the decision was made to build facilities for
6794-593: The world's largest marine protected area to commercial fishing. The 2022 Kiribati constitutional crisis started with the suspension of all 5 major Justices of the judiciary of Kiribati . In 2020, Kiribati’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic , consistent with most of the COVID-19 responses of Oceania island nations , was to impose strict limits on tourism and commercial travel. Kiribati reported that it remained essentially COVID-free (two cases) until January 2022 when
6880-615: Was a cadet administrative officer based at Tarawa (1913–1919) and became Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1926. In 1902, the Pacific Cable Board laid the first trans-Pacific telegraph cable from Bamfield , British Columbia, to Fanning Island (Tabuaeran) in the Line Islands, and from Fiji to Fanning Island, thus completing the All Red Line , a series of telegraph lines circumnavigating
6966-519: Was a prominent skill still practised today, though seldom mentioned because of various taboos associated with it, secrecy being the primary one. Abemama 's High Chief Tembinok' was the last of the dozens of expansionist chiefs of Gilbert Islands of this period, despite Abemama historically conforming to the traditional southern islands' governance of their respective unimwaane . He was immortalised in Robert Louis Stevenson 's book In
7052-474: Was intended to allow businesses across the expansive territory to keep the same business week. This also enabled Kiribati to become the first country to see the dawn of the third millennium , an event of significance for tourism. Tito was re-elected in 1998. In 1999, Kiribati became a full member of the United Nations, 20 years after independence. In 2002, Kiribati passed a controversial law that enabled
7138-530: Was modern, and to comprehend the inclusion of outer islands (e.g., the Phoenix Group and Line Islands), which were not considered part of the Tungaru (or Gilberts) chain. The area now called Kiribati has been inhabited by Austronesian peoples speaking the same Oceanic language , from north to south, including the southernmost Nui , since sometime between 3000 BCE and 1300 CE. The area
7224-419: Was not completely isolated; later, voyagers from Samoa , Tonga , and Fiji introduced some Polynesian and Melanesian cultural aspects, respectively. Intermarriage and intense navigation between the islands tended to blur cultural differences and resulted in a significant degree of cultural homogenization. Local oral historians chiefly in the form of lore keepers suggest that the area was first inhabited by
7310-415: Was retained after the Ellice Islands became the separate country of Tuvalu in 1976. The spelling of Gilberts in the Gilbertese language as Kiribati may be found in books in Gilbertese prepared by missionaries , but with the meaning of Gilbertese ( demonym and language) (see e.g., Hawaiian Board of Missionaries, 1895). The first mention as a dictionary entry of the word Kiribati as the native name of
7396-654: Was surveyed in 1841 by the US Exploring Expedition . In the mid to late 19th Century, Abemama was ruled by a single paramount chief. This contrasts with the Northern Gilbert Islands where groups of families or kainga would have their own separate leaders, and the Southern Gilberts (from Nonouti southwards) where the old men or unimwane collectively would meet in the maneaba to govern. Some European sources describe
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