Kiribati is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. It was first settled by the I-Kiribati people around 1000AD. The first Europeans arrived on the island in the 1500s, but it wasn't until the 1800's that they began to arrive in larger numbers. At this time they introduced diseases and caused local conflicts. The British took control of the islands 1892, which were called the Gilbert Islands at the time. They became an official British colony in 1916.
During World War II, Japan gained control of some of the islands. Some of the fiercest fighting of the south pacific occurred on Tarawa Atoll when the United States fought the Japanese in what was a turning point in the war.
In 1979 Kiribati became a fully independent country. The first president of Kiribati was Ieremia Tabai.
The Geography of Kiribati
Total Size: 811 square km
Size Comparison: four times the size of Washington, DC
