Gilbert and Ellice Islands Gilbert and Ellice Islands The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two colonies which became independent nations shortly after. A referendum was held in December 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands should each have their own administration. As a consequence of the referendum, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony ceased to exist on 1 January 1976 and the separate countries of Kiribati and Tuvalu came into existence. The Gilbert Islands (formerly "Kingsmill Islands") are a chain of sixteen
Marshall Islands at the 2008 Summer Olympics the qualification standards, the other five athletes at the Games were all wildcard entries. He represented his country in taekwondo. Jared Heine is a swimmer and competed in the 100 meter backstroke. In athletics, the nation was represented by Roman Cress who ran in the men's 100 meters. Haley Nemra also represented the Marshall Islands running in the women's 800 meters. The Marshall Islands are a Micronesian island nation, located in the western Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. As of 2008 the island had a population of approximately 60,000. The island nation was controlled by the United States,