KIRIBATI KIRIBATI

Phoenix Islands, are formed from 8 islands (Birnie, Canton (or Abariringa, 9.8 sq km), Enderbury, Manra (or Sydney), McKean, Nikumaroro (or Gardner), Orona (or Hull), Rawaki (or Phoenix)), of which only inhabited 2, and 2 coral banks (Winslow Reef and Carondelet Reef), they are located about 1,000 km south-east of the Gilbert Islands, 300 km north of Tokelau and about 3,000 km south of Hawaii islands. Line Islands, consist of 8 islands (Caroline, Flint, Kiritimati (or Christmas Island, the largest atoll on Earth (388 sq km (642 sq km considering the lagoon), 5,100 inhabitants)), Malden (39 sq km), Starbuck (21 sq km), Tabuaeran (or Fanning, 33 sq km, 2500 inhabitants), Teraina (or Washington, 14 sq km, 1150 inhabitants), Vostok), which only three islands inhabited (Fanning, Kiritimati, and Washington ), located approximately 3,000 km east of the Gilbert Islands, and about 2,000 km south of Hawaii and 500 km north of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. The highest point of the whole archipelago, 81 meters, is located in the raised coral island of Banaba, in the past it had rich deposits of phosphates, but now they are exhausted. The economy of the islands is based on the income of fishing rights, agriculture is limited, for the most part, the collection of copra and taro. Recently, the islands have become transit place for tourist cruises from Hawaii islands.