Tarawa, Kiribati
Tarawa, population 28,802 (
1990), is the capital of
Kiribati. Tarawa is an atoll in the central
Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former
British colony of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands. The administrative center of the atoll is Bairiki Island. Betio Island is a port through which
copra and
pearl shell are exported. The population is mainly Micronesian. During
World War II, Tarawa was occupied by the
Japanese, and starting on
November 20,
1943 it was the scene of the bloody Battle of Tarawa. On that day
United States Marines landed on Tarawa and Makin atolls and took heavy fire from Japanese shore guns.
Tarawa is the site of a teacher's training college and a marine training school, as well as an international airport.