Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Pacific Ocean |
Coordinates | 1°21′S 174°48′E / 1.350°S 174.800°E |
Archipelago | Gilbert Islands |
Major islands | Aanikai |
Area | 40.33 km2 (15.57 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
Administration | |
Capital | Utiroa |
Former capital | Buariki |
Demographics | |
Population | 5,261 (2015 Census) |
Pop. density | 123.8/km2 (320.6/sq mi) |
Ethnic groups | I-Kiribati 99.7% |
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. The atoll consists of one main island, Aanikai in the north, and several smaller islets in between along the eastern rim of the atoll. The atoll has a total land area of 38 km2 (15 sq mi), while the lagoon measures 365 km2 (141 sq mi). The population numbered 5,261 in 2015. The islanders have customary fishing practices related to the lagoon and the open ocean.[1]
While most atolls of the Gilbert Islands correspond to local government areas governed by island councils, Tabiteuea, like the main atoll Tarawa, is divided into two: