Gilbert Islands are a group of 16 small atolls (coral reefs) in the central Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and Hawaii. They form part of the island country of Kiribati, which also includes the Phoenix and Line islands. The Gilberts have a total land area of about 105 square miles (272 square kilometers) and a population of about 65,000. Tarawa atoll, in the central Gilbert Islands, is the capital of Kiribati.
During the 1890’s, Britain took control of the Gilbert Islands and the neighboring Ellice Islands (now Tuvalu). In 1916, Britain combined the two groups of islands, plus Ocean Island (now called Banaba), to form the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. In 1979, the Gilberts and other islands became the country of Kiribati.
