Gilbert Islands

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Gilbert Islands (Tungaru)

The Gilbert Islands are a group of 16 atolls and coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean. They form the main part of the country Kiribati and lie roughly halfway between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. The islands stretch in a north–south line, with Makin in the north and Arorae in the south. The equator runs through the northern part, but the International Hydrographic Organization considers the whole group to be in the South Pacific Ocean. The area of the group is about 280 square kilometers (108 square miles).

Major islands and atolls include Tarawa (where the capital South Tarawa is located), Makin, Butaritari, Marakei, Abaiang, Maiana, Abemama, Kuria, Aranuka, Nonouti, Tabiteuea, Beru, Nikunau, Onotoa, Tamana, and Arorae. The total population was around 83,000 in the mid-2000s, with South Tarawa home to about two-thirds of Kiribati’s people.

Language and government
The people are Austronesian and speak Gilbertese (also called Kiribati) along with English. Kiribati is the country that now includes the Gilbert Islands. The islands were part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony under British rule before Kiribati became independent in 1979.

History in brief
- The northern Gilbert Islands were sighted by Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Queirós in 1606, who named Butaritari and Makin the Buen Viaje Islands.
- British ships and explorers visited in the 18th century, and in 1788 Captain Thomas Gilbert’s name was given to the group by European cartographers.
- By the late 19th century the islands came under British protection and, from 1916, became the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony.
- In 1971 the islands gained autonomy; in 1979 the Gilbert Islands became the independent state of Kiribati, while the Ellice Islands became Tuvalu in 1978.

World War II
During World War II, Japan occupied several Gilbert Islands in 1941. The United States conducted operations in 1942–1943, including the famous battles of Tarawa (Betio Atoll) and Makin. The islands then served as bases for the Allied advance in the central Pacific.

Today
Kiribati uses the Australian dollar as its currency. The Gilbert Islands remain the heart of Kiribati, with Tarawa as the political and administrative center. Life on the islands historically depended on fishing, coconuts, and taro; today communities also work in services and other sectors while continuing to preserve Gilbertese culture and customs.