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atoll in the central Pacific Ocean

Tarawa is an atoll in the Republic of Kiribati. It is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.[1] It is made up of North Tarawa and South Tarawa.[2] North Tarawa has a lot in common with islands in the Gilberts group. South Tarawa is the capital of Kiribati. It has over 50,000 people living in it. That is half of the country's total population.

LocationPacific Ocean
ArchipelagoGilbert Islands
Highest elevation3 m (10 ft)

Coordinates: 1°25′N 173°02′E﻿ / ﻿1.417°N 173.033°E﻿ / 1.417; 173.033


  1. Atoll Politics: The Republic of Kiribati, ed. Howard Van Trease (Christchurch: Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, 1993), p. 125
  2. Geology and hydrogeology of carbonate islands, eds. Leonard H.L. Vacher; Terrence M. Quinn (Amsterdam; San Diego, CA: Elsevier, 2004), p. 577