.JPG) Coral reefs at Enderbury, part of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area | |
 Phoenix Islands Protected Area boundary outlined | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 4°41′N 160°22′W / 4.683°N 160.367°W to 11°25′S 151°49′W / 11.417°S 151.817°W |
| Archipelago | Gilbert Islands, Line Islands and Phoenix Islands |
| Total islands | 32 atolls and 1 Raised coral atoll |
| Major islands | Banaba |
| Highest elevation | 81 m (266 ft)[1] |
| Highest point | Unnamed location on Banaba |
| Administration | |
The Coral reefs of Kiribati consists of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, Banaba (Ocean Island), which is an isolated island between Nauru and the Gilbert Islands. The islands of Kiribati are dispersed over 3.5 million km2 (1.4 million sq mi) of the Pacific Ocean and straddle the equator and the 180th meridian, extending into the eastern and western hemispheres, as well as the northern and southern hemispheres.[2] 21 of the 33 islands are inhabited. The groups of islands of Kiribati are:
- Gilbert Islands: 16 atolls located some 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) north of Fiji.
- Phoenix Islands: 8 atolls and coral islands located some 1,800 kilometres (1,118 mi) southeast of the Gilberts.
- Line Islands: 8 atolls and one reef, located about 3,300 kilometres (2,051 mi) east of the Gilberts.
The recognizable reef systems in these archipelagos are: 3 reef communities or submerged reefs; 15 fringing reefs; and 18 atolls.[3] In the Line Islands archipelago, Kingman Reef, Jarvis Island and Palmyra Atoll are U.S. territories that are administered as part of the United States Minor Outlying Islands, although they are geographically part of the Line Islands archipelago. Kingman Reef, Jarvis Island and Palmyra Atoll are part of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.[4][5]
The reefs in the Gilbert Islands are exposed to the effects of pollution and over-utilisation of the reef resources by the residents of the islands,[6][7] which is similar to the threats to the Coral reefs of Tuvalu, which are to the south east of the Gilbert Islands. In contrast, most of atolls of the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands are uninhabited.[8][9]
The isolation of the Phoenix Islands, most of which are uninhabited, means they are among the most pristine coral reefs on Earth.[10]
- ^ "19. Banaba" (PDF). Office of Te Beretitent - Republic of Kiribati Island Report Series. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Ariel, Avraham; Berger, Nora Ariel (2005), Plotting the Globe: Stories of Meridians, Parallels, and the International Date Line, Greenwood Press, p. 149, ISBN 0275988953
- ^ Edward R. Lovell; Taratau Kirata; Tooti Tekinaiti (September 2002). "Status report for Kiribati's coral reefs" (PDF). Centre IRD de Nouméa. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Kingman Reef: National Wildlife Refuge, US Minor Outlying Islands". 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "Palmyra Atoll: National Wildlife Refuge, US Minor Outlying Islands". 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ "2. Butaritari" (PDF). Office of Te Beretitent - Republic of Kiribati Island Report Series. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "3. Marakei" (PDF). Office of Te Beretitent - Republic of Kiribati Island Report Series. 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Pacific Regional Statistics - Secretariat of the Pacific Community" (PDF). www.spc.int. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ Morate, Orebwa (1 September 2016). "2015 Population and Housing Census" (PDF). Bairiki: National Statistics Office. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
OBUwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).