TARAWA

coral atoll of the Gilbert Islands and capital of Kiribati. It lies in the west-central Pacific Ocean, 2,800 miles (4,500 km) northeast of Australia and is the most populous atoll in the Gilberts. Tarawa consists of 15 islets, with a total land area of 12 square miles (31 square km) on a reef 22 miles (35 km) long. The atoll is a commercial and educational centre with port facilities on the islets of Betio, Bairiki, and Bikenibeu; an airport on Bonriki; and national government headquarters on Bairiki. There is also an extension centre of the University of the South Pacific on Bairiki. Copra and mother-of-pearl are exported. The atoll was the scene of fierce fighting during World War II (1943), when U.S. Marines retook it from Japanese occupation forces. Pop. (1985) 24,598; (1990) 28,802.