History of the Pacific Islands as British protectorate by a Resident Commissioner from 1892 to 1916 as part of the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT), and later as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony from 1916 to 1974. 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 British colonies of Kiribati and Tuvalu came into existence. Tuvalu became fully independent within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978. On
Pacific Ocean Division Pacific Ocean Division The United States Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division (POD) is an Army organization providing Military and Host Nation Construction services, and civil works in the American states and territories in the Pacific: Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Projects include navigation, flood damage reduction, shore protection, and environmental restoration. The division is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Division Commander is directly responsible to the USACE Chief of Engineers. The Pacific Ocean Division has four districts: "This page incorporates public domain text from the United States Army Corps of