South Tarawa, Kiribati

South Tarawa is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Kiribati, an island nation in the South Pacific. South Tarawa, like Kiribati as a whole, is renowned for its picturesque scenery and wildlife, but the country contains few natural resources. In addition, pollution and overpopulation have threatened the attractive natural environment, and as ocean levels have continued to rise, the islands are becoming increasingly smaller and uninhabitable.

Landscape

South Tarawa is located on the mast-shaped atoll of Tarawa, one of the thirty-three atolls that, along with the island of Banaba, form the nation of Kiribati. Located in Micronesia, a vast region in the Pacific Ocean encompassing hundreds of small islands, Kiribati is separated by the equator, with islands in both the North and South Pacific Oceans. South Tarawa is part of the Gilbert Islands, one of three separate island groups that make up the nation. It is situated roughly 3,445 kilometers (2,140 miles) northeast of Brisbane, Australia, and 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) southwest of Hawaii.

South Tarawa consists of a line of islets, all of which are inhabited. The southern branch of Tarawa, stretching from the islet of Betio to the islet of Bonriki, makes up the region that is South Tarawa. The larger islets of South Tarawa are connected by causeways, and the smaller ones are reached by boat. South Tarawa is one of the most populated regions of the South Pacific, although it spans less than 16 square kilometers (6 square miles).

Betio is the westernmost point of South Tarawa and the largest islet. It is also a village and port town. Bairiki, another port town, is South Tarawa's southernmost point. Bonriki is the location of the international airport. South Tarawa is the most urban part of Kiribati. Efforts are continually being made to improve South Tarawa's sanitation services, which are limited and must rely on saltwater flush systems to help conserve scarce groundwater resources.

The climate of South Tarawa is tropical and characterized by hot and humid weather. The average yearly temperature for Tarawa is roughly 25 degrees Celsius (76 degrees Fahrenheit), with little variation year-round, though temperatures can be 10 degrees lower on the northern Kiribati islands in the North Pacific Ocean. The rainy season lasts from November until March. The islands receive occasional droughts as well as strong winds from the ocean.

The islets of South Tarawa are located at an average altitude of 3 meters (10 feet) above sea level. With sea levels rising in conjunction with climate change, the land mass of South Tarawa has been reduced, further worsening the issue of overpopulation. In addition, the construction of the causeways running between the islets has also reportedly altered ocean currents, making the islets more susceptible to immersion and erosion. With climate scientists projecting sea level increases of up to one meter by 2100, much of Kiribati may be inundated by the end of the twenty-first century. Rising sea levels have already contaminated fresh water supplies and arable land. In 2012, the government of Kiribati purchased six thousand acres of land from Fiji, on the island of Vanua Levu, to ensure its security as sea levels rise. In 2022, the government called on wealthy nations to fund raising the islands by scooping rock and sand from the seabed and depositing it on the coral atolls.

South Tarawa's dense population, the changing of the tidal currents due to causeway construction, and an overloaded sewage system and other waste management concerns have made it highly susceptible to pollution. Natives and visitors are often discouraged from swimming in the water, and pollution has also lowered the number of fish available for consumption, a particular difficulty for a nation that relies on the sea for food.

People

Of the 115,372 people living in Kiribati (2023 estimate), over half—an estimated 64,000 as of 2022—inhabit the islets of South Tarawa. The amenities and educational opportunities available in the capital, as compared to the underdeveloped outer islands, draw much of South Tarawa's population. Most inhabitants have moved there from outer islands, though there is a small foreign-born population.

The natives of South Tarawa, and of Kiribati in general, are referred to as I-Kiribati, and are of Micronesian descent. English is the official language and is primarily spoken in South Tarawa. Gilbertese, or I-Kiribati, is also widely used, mostly outside of the capital. The official currency is the Australian dollar. Christianity is the main religion, and the population is predominantly Roman Catholic, with a sizable Kiribati Uniting Church minority. There are also small Mormon, Baha'i, and Seventh Day Adventist populations as well.

Economy

Kiribati is resource-poor and one of the least developed Pacific island nations. It is highly dependent on imported fuel and other resources. South Tarawa is the most urban area of Kiribati, giving it a comparatively large wage economy. More than 60 percent of all wage-earning jobs in Kiribati are located in South Tarawa, with most of these jobs in the area of public administration. Yet only a relatively small percentage of the country's population works for formal wages, leaving control of South Tarawa's economy to the fishing industry. Many citizens, especially those on the outer islands, rely on subsistence farming or fishing, the selling of handicrafts, and remittances (money sent from abroad). Foreign aid contributed over 32 percent of the government's finances in 2016, according to US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimates.

Sales of off-coast fishing licenses make up a significant portion of the economy. Kiribati's main exports are copra (dried coconut), sea salt, fish, and seaweed, while food comprises approximately one-third of the country's imports. In addition, South Tarawa houses a diesel power plant and a small light industry sector, which manufactures textiles, furniture, and beverages, mainly for domestic consumption.

Tourism makes up a significant part of the economy as well, accounting for more than one-fifth of the nation's GDP. Attractions such as the World War II landmarks on Betio islet, as well as the scenic qualities of all of the islets of South Tarawa, draw visitors to the islands. The international airport on Bariki Islet makes South Tarawa the easiest destination for tourists to visit.

Prior to the 1980s, Kiribati's economy relied heavily on mining, particularly the export of phosphate, and a large fund was accumulated from the revenue generated by the export of the mineral. The phosphate resources, though, were exhausted by the time of Kiribati's independence.

Landmarks

South Tarawa is most famous for its scenic landscape, and visitors are often attracted to the island nation for the swimming, diving, snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing. Handicraft stores and shops also punctuate South Tarawa, where traditional and local handicrafts such as fans, mats, and native swords and spears can be purchased.

Relics from World War II are also historic attractions; the wreckage of tanks and artillery and other military artifacts left over from the Battle of Tarawa, one of the most devastating battles during the Pacific theater of war, remain on Betio Island.

History

It is estimated that Southeast Asians arrived on the islands from Micronesia as early as five thousand years ago, and South Tarawa became home to the Micronesian I-Kiribati people between the years of 1000 and 1300 CE. In the fourteenth century, Samoans entered the atoll and created a governmental system. Though people from Fiji and Tonga also migrated over, the population remained mainly Micronesian in descent.

From the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, the atolls of Kiribati were sighted and mapped by Europeans, and the early nineteenth century saw the arrival of whalers and harvesters of coconuts. To protect their natural resources, the Gilbert Islands joined with the nearby Ellice Islands, and became a British protectorate in 1892. Governmental administration of South Tarawa was based on Bairiki Island.

During World War II, South Tarawa was occupied first by Japan and then by Allied forces. It became the gateway between the Americas and the Philippines during the war, and the center of fighting in the South Pacific. The deadliest battle was the Battle of Tarawa in 1943, during which the Japanese stationed 4,700 soldiers along the three-mile islet. United States Marines moving in on the islet were greeted by gunfire from the shore, struggling for a full day before they were able to land. On-land fighting lasted for two days, and more than three thousand Americans and nearly five thousand Japanese died as a result.

South Tarawa became the recipient of international aid after World War II, and the country began to seek out programs for economic development. A house of representatives was created in South Tarawa, and the Gilbert Islands finally split from the Ellice Islands during 1975 and 1976. South Tarawa became the capital of the independent Republic of Kiribati on July 12, 1979. The country joined the United Nations in 1999.

The threats of overpopulation and pollution soon emerged in the late twentieth century, and the government created a program to move five thousand people from South Tarawa to the outer islands to reduce crowding on the atoll in the 1990s. Refuse collection services and landfills have been implemented on South Tarawa to make living conditions on the island more sanitary. In 2006, Kiribati established the Phoenix Island Protected Area, the world's third largest marine reserve, where hundreds of species of fish and coral are protected from fishing. Rising sea levels continue to pose the greatest threat to the island nation, and the Kiribati government made arrangements to relocate displaced residents and inundated agricultural lands to Fiji if necessary. The nation also became a vocal presence in international initiatives working against climate change.

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