Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands ( also abbreviated as Gilbert; Kiribati: Tungaru; formerly known as Kingsmill Islands ) are a chain of 16 atolls in the Pacific, belonging to the island nation of Kiribati. The most populous and important Tarawa Atoll, on which the capital South Tarawa is located on the island Bairiki.

The name Gilbert Islands is both historically in use for today's Kiribati, the part of Gilbert of the former protectorate of the Gilbert and Elliceinseln today for the administrative area, the Unit, the Gilbert Islands, made up of the districts of Northern Gilbert Islands ( Northern Gilberts ) and Tarawa, Central Gilbert Islands (Central Gilberts ) and Southern Gilbert Islands (Southern Gilberts ) composed.

The population of the Unit Gilbert Islands was 2010 91.395 inhabitants according to the census.

For not treated here see other parts Kiribati → Main article: Banaba, the Phoenix Islands, Line Islands, for the government → Main article: Kiribati.

Geography

The atolls of the Gilbert Islands are located in the north-south direction:

History

The Gilbert Islands were inhabited by Micronesians several centuries before they discovered the first Europeans.

Pedro Fernández de Quirós in 1606 sighted the Makin / Butaritari group. The Englishman John Byron sighted in 1764 on the HMS Dolphin on his circumnavigation of the other Gilbert Islands. As a true discoverer are generally the captains Thomas Gilbert of Charlotte and John Marshall of Scarborough, which on 17 June 1788 atolls Aranuka, Kuria, Abaiang and on June 20, 1788 Tarawa, which was called Kingsmill, sighted, but without land. The name Gilbert Islands, they received Thomas Gilbert in honor of Admiral Adam around 1820 Johann von Krusenstern. The French captain Louis Isidore Duperrey, which until 1825 on the Astrolabe sailed around the world in 1822, was the first who charted the archipelago. Charles Wilkes of the United States Exploring Expedition ( 1832-1842 ) measured the islands, reefs and anchorages and was named one of the islands, Kingsmill, today Tarawa, on the entire island group, published in his 1851 expedition published report. It took until the term Gilbert Islands asserted itself for the island group as a single term.

1892 the islands became part of the British Protectorate of the Gilbert and Elliceinseln. The proclamation was made by Captain Davis of the ship Royalist on 27 May 1892 on the island of Abemama. In 1916 the Protectorate to the British colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. In 1971 she gained autonomy.

In 1978, the former Elliceinseln under the new name Tuvalu an independent state, the Gilbert Islands was followed a year later, and in 1979 in association with other islands to the independent island nation of Kiribati.