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Archipelago

    Pacific OceanKiribati

    0°00′N 174°00′E

    Gilbert Islands

    Part of Kiribati

    The Gilbert Islands (Gilbertese: Tungaru; formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill Islands) are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii.

    Kiribati, Kuria Islands
    Kiribati, Kuria Islands

    Flexmaen / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chart

    78 landforms

    Overview

    The Gilbert Islands (Gilbertese: Tungaru; formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill Islands) are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. They constitute the main part of the country of Kiribati (the name of which is a rendering of "Gilberts" in the phonology of the indigenous Gilbertese). The Gilbert Islands comprise the eastern-most part of Micronesia.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands15
    • Minor islands30
    • Islets26
    • Rocks & skerries7

    Major islands

    15
    • Nikunau

      Nikunau

      Area
      19.1 km²
      High point
      23 m

      Nikunau is a low coral atoll in the Gilbert Islands. It consists of two parts, with the larger in the northwest, joined by an isthmus about 150 metres (490 ft) wide. There are several landlocked hypersaline lagoons within the island, covering about 30 hectares (74 acres).

    • Beru

      Beru

      Area
      17.5 km²
      High point
      18 m

      Beru is an atoll in the Southern Gilbert Islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of the Republic of Kiribati. Beru was previously known as Eliza, Francis Island, Maria, Peroat, Peru Island or Sunday. It is part of a larger reef with the Nuka Lagoon at its center, and the nearest island is Nikunau.

    • Arorae

      Arorae

      Area
      7.2 km²
      High point
      19 m

      Arorae (spelling variants: Arorai, Arurai; also known as Hope Island or Hurd Island) is an atoll in Kiribati located near the equator. Arorae is the southernmost island in the Gilbert Islands group. It has a population of just over a thousand inhabitants on 9.5 square kilometres.

    • Tabiteuea

      Tabiteuea

      Area
      1.2 km²
      High point
      13 m

      Tabiteuea (formerly Drummond's Island) is an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati, farther south of Tarawa. This atoll is the second largest and the most populated of the Gilbert Islands after Tarawa.

    • Tarawa

      Area
      31 km²
      High point
      2 m

      Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, in the Micronesia region of the central Pacific Ocean.

    • Nonouti

      Area
      21 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Nonouti is an atoll and district of Kiribati. The atoll is located in the Southern Gilbert Islands, 38 km north of Tabiteuea, and 250 km south of Tarawa. The atoll is the third largest in the Gilbert Islands and is the island where Catholicism was first introduced to Kiribati, in 1888.

    • Abaiang

      Area
      17.5 km²

      Abaiang, also known as Apaiang, Apia, and in the past, Charlotte Island, in the Northern Gilbert Islands, is a coral atoll of Kiribati, located in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Abaiang was the island of the first missionary to arrive in the Gilberts, Hiram Bingham II. Abaiang has a population of 5,872 (2020 census).

    • Maiana

      Area
      16.7 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Maiana is an atoll in Kiribati and is one of the Central Gilbert Islands. Maiana is 44 kilometres (27 mi) south of the capital island of South Tarawa and has a population of 1,982 as of 2015.

    • Onotoa

      Area
      15.6 km²

      Onotoa is an atoll of Kiribati. It is situated in the Gilbert Islands in the Pacific Ocean, 65 km (40 mi) from Tamana, the smallest island in the Gilberts. The population of Onotoa in the 2020 census was 1,417.

    • Kuria

      Area
      15.5 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Kuria is an atoll, formed by a pair of islets, in the Central Gilbert Islands in Kiribati, northwest of Aranuka. The two islets, Buariki and Oneeke, are separated by a 20 metre wide channel on a shallow water platform (Te buriiti), which is crossed by a bridge of the connecting road.

    • Marakei

      Area
      14.1 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Marakei is a small atoll in the North Gilbert Islands. It consists of a central lagoon with numerous deep basins, surrounded by two large islands separated by two narrow channels. The atoll covers approximately 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi).

    • Butaritari

      Area
      13.5 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Butaritari is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati. The atoll is roughly four-sided. The south and southeast portion of the atoll comprises a nearly continuous islet. The atoll reef is continuous but almost without islets along the north side.

    • Aranuka

      Area
      13.3 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Aranuka is an atoll of Kiribati, located just north of the equator, in the Gilbert Islands. It has an area of 11.6 square kilometres (4.5 square miles) and a population of 1,057 in 2010. By local tradition, Aranuka is the central island of the Gilbert group.

    • Makin

      Area
      5.9 km²
      High point
      21 m

      Makin is an atoll, chain of islands, located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati. Makin is the northernmost of the Gilbert Islands, with a population (in 2015) of 1,990.

    • Tamana

      Area
      4.8 km²
      High point
      17 m

      Tamana (also Rotcher Island) is the smallest island in the Gilbert Islands. It is accessible both by boat and by air with Air Kiribati and Coral Sun Airways (once a week; Tamana Airport code: TMN). 1,054 people live in Tamana (2020 census).

    Minor islands

    30

    • Takaeang

      Area
      13.2 km²
      High point
      3 m

    • Banaba

      Area
      6.3 km²
      High point
      81 m

    • Tabiteuea

      Area
      5.4 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Abatiku

      Area
      3.1 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Tabiteuea

      Area
      1.8 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Tabiteuea

      Area
      1.6 km²
      High point
      16 m

    • Aiwa

      Area
      0.69 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.56 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.5 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Arakeakea

      Area
      0.46 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Bike

      Area
      0.41 km²

    • Bangai

      Area
      0.37 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Auaneenee

      Area
      0.33 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Tetongo

      Area
      0.31 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Abarei

      Area
      0.31 km²
      High point
      14 m

    • Tenaumwariki

      Area
      0.26 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.26 km²
      High point
      6 m

    • Tengaabuka

      Area
      0.25 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.23 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Takorongaieta

      Area
      0.23 km²
      High point
      11 m

    • Teruaabine

      Area
      0.2 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Teaakaurongo

      Area
      0.2 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Tebukaautongo

      Area
      0.17 km²
      High point
      10 m

    • Taura

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Tengongo

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      8 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      12 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Tenon

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.1 km²
      High point
      13 m

    Islets

    26
    • Unnamed island11 m · 0.1 km²
    • Tenaauea13 m · 0.09 km²
    • Naamauri13 m · 0.08 km²
    • Unnamed island4 m · 0.08 km²
    • Benuaanguu11 m · 0.08 km²
    • Nakaeriki8 m · 0.08 km²
    • Unnamed island6 m · 0.07 km²
    • Unnamed island8 m · 0.06 km²
    • Nanikiika7 m · 0.04 km²
    • Unnamed island3 m · 0.03 km²
    • Unnamed island0.03 km²
    • Unnamed island5 m · 0.03 km²

    Rocks & skerries

    7
    • Unnamed island1 m · 0.03 km²
    • Unnamed island2 m · 0.01 km²
    • Tabiteuea1 m · 0.01 km²
    • Unnamed island0.2 ha
    • Unnamed island0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    • Unnamed island<0.1 ha

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level50 m100 m81 mBanaba23 mNikunau21 mMakin19 mArorae18 mBeru17 mTamana16 mTabiteuea15 mTabiteuea15 mAiwa15 mTetongo15 mTenon14 mAbatiku14 mTabiteuea14 mAbarei
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.00010.0010.010.1110100Tarawa: 31 km²TarawaNonouti: 21 km²NonoutiNikunau: 19.1 km²NikunauBeru: 17.5 km²BeruAbaiang: 17.5 km²AbaiangMaiana: 16.7 km²MaianaOnotoa: 15.6 km²OnotoaKuria: 15.5 km²KuriaMarakei: 14.1 km²MarakeiButaritari: 13.5 km²ButaritariAranuka: 13.3 km²AranukaTakaeang: 13.2 km²TakaeangArorae: 7.2 km²AroraeBanaba: 6.3 km²BanabaMakin: 5.9 km²MakinTabiteuea: 5.4 km²TabiteueaTamana: 4.8 km²TamanaAbatiku: 3.1 km²AbatikuTabiteuea: 1.8 km²TabiteueaTabiteuea: 1.6 km²TabiteueaTabiteuea: 1.2 km²TabiteueaAiwa: 0.69 km²AiwaUnnamed island: 0.56 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.5 km²Unnamed islandArakeakea: 0.46 km²ArakeakeaBike: 0.41 km²BikeBangai: 0.37 km²BangaiAuaneenee: 0.33 km²AuaneeneeTetongo: 0.31 km²TetongoAbarei: 0.31 km²AbareiTenaumwariki: 0.26 km²TenaumwarikiUnnamed island: 0.26 km²Unnamed islandTengaabuka: 0.25 km²TengaabukaUnnamed island: 0.23 km²Unnamed islandTakorongaieta: 0.23 km²TakorongaietaTeruaabine: 0.2 km²TeruaabineTeaakaurongo: 0.2 km²TeaakaurongoTebukaautongo: 0.17 km²TebukaautongoTaura: 0.14 km²TauraTengongo: 0.13 km²Tengongo
    km², log scale
    Tarawa31 km²
    Nonouti21 km²
    Nikunau19.1 km²
    Beru17.5 km²
    Abaiang17.5 km²
    Maiana16.7 km²
    Onotoa15.6 km²
    Kuria15.5 km²
    Marakei14.1 km²
    Butaritari13.5 km²
    Aranuka13.3 km²
    Takaeang13.2 km²
    Arorae7.2 km²
    Banaba6.3 km²
    Makin5.9 km²
    Tabiteuea5.4 km²
    Tamana4.8 km²
    Abatiku3.1 km²
    Tabiteuea1.8 km²
    Tabiteuea1.6 km²
    Tabiteuea1.2 km²
    Aiwa0.69 km²
    Unnamed island0.56 km²
    Unnamed island0.5 km²
    Arakeakea0.46 km²
    Bike0.41 km²
    Bangai0.37 km²
    Auaneenee0.33 km²
    Tetongo0.31 km²
    Abarei0.31 km²
    Tenaumwariki0.26 km²
    Unnamed island0.26 km²
    Tengaabuka0.25 km²
    Unnamed island0.23 km²
    Takorongaieta0.23 km²
    Teruaabine0.2 km²
    Teaakaurongo0.2 km²
    Tebukaautongo0.17 km²
    Taura0.14 km²
    Tengongo0.13 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.11 km²
    Tenon0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 km²
    Tenaauea0.09 km²
    Naamauri0.08 km²
    Unnamed island0.08 km²
    Benuaanguu0.08 km²
    Nakaeriki0.08 km²
    Unnamed island0.07 km²
    Unnamed island0.06 km²
    Nanikiika0.04 km²
    Unnamed island0.03 km²
    Unnamed island0.03 km²
    Unnamed island0.03 km²
    Unnamed island0.03 km²
    Nakaituu0.03 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Naantatae0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.02 km²
    Unnamed island0.01 km²
    Unnamed island0.01 km²
    Tabiteuea0.01 km²
    Unnamed island0.8 ha
    Unnamed island0.6 ha
    Unnamed island0.5 ha
    Unnamed island0.4 ha
    Unnamed island0.3 ha
    Unnamed island0.3 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.2 ha
    Unnamed island0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha
    Unnamed island<0.1 ha

    Groups within

    2

    Overlapping groups

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs