Tarawa Atoll

Tarawa Atoll

Tarawa is a coral atoll of the Gilbert Islands and the capital of Kiribati in the west-central Pacific. Located 4500 km northeast of Australia, this is the Gilbert Islands' most populous atoll. Tarawa is made up of a lagoon fringed by a V-shaped reef, 35 km long and including more than 30 islets. The lagoon has a wide opening to the ocean, with a large boat passage. Despite being naturally abundant in all kinds of fish and shellfish, the large and growing population is straining marine resources. There are frequent droughts, but during normal years rainfall is enough to support breadfruit, papaya and banana trees, as well as coconuts and pandanus. North Tarawa is made up of a string of islets stretching from Buariki in the north to Buota in the south. There are wide channels separating the islets, which can be crossed mainly at low tide, and a ferry service runs between Buota and Abatao. There is only Buota linked by road to South Tarawa, via a bridge. The atoll is a center for commerce and education, with port facilities on the South Tarawa islands of Betio, Bairiki and Bikenibeu, an airfield on Bonriki, and the seat of the national government on Bairiki. During World War II, Tarawa was invaded by the Japanese, and the bloody Battle of Tarawa began here on 20 November 1943. On that day, US Marines landed on Tarawa, where they seized the island after 76 hours of fierce fighting with the Japanese, resulting in a total of 6,000 casualties.