Tarawa, population 28,802 (
1990), is the capital of
Kiribati. Tarawa is an atoll in the central
Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former
British colony of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands[?]. The administrative center of the atoll is
Bairiki Island[?].
Betio Island[?] is a port through which
copra and
pearl shell are exported. The population is mainly
Micronesian. During
World War II, Tarawa was occupied by the
Japanese, and was the scene of a bloody battle.
Tarawa is the site of a teacher's training college and a marine training school, as well as an international airport.