Phoenix Islands

Phoenix Islands
a group of eight coral islands in the central Pacific: part of Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands). 11 sq. mi. (28 sq. km).

* * *

Group of eight small coral atolls, Kiribati.

Lying in the west-central Pacific Ocean 1,650 mi (2,650 km) southwest of Hawaii, the low, sandy atolls have a total land area of about 11 sq mi (28 sq km) and were discovered in the 19th century by U.S. whaling ships. Annexed by Britain in 1889, they were joined to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1937. They became part of independent Kiribati in 1979. Kanton is the only inhabited atoll.

* * *

▪ atolls, Kiribati
      group of coral atolls, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean, 1,650 miles (2,650 km) southwest of Hawaii. The group comprises Rawaki (Phoenix), Manra (Sydney), McKean, Nikumaroro (Gardner), Birnie, Orona (Hull), Kanton (Kanton Atoll) (Canton), and Enderbury (Enderbury Atoll) atolls. They have a total land area of approximately 11 square miles (29 square km). All are low, sandy atolls that were discovered in the 19th century by American whaling ships. Evidence on Manra, Orona, and Nikumaroro suggests that those atolls were inhabited in prehistoric times, but they were uninhabited when Europeans arrived in the area. Several islands were worked for their limited supplies of guano. The islands, which were annexed by Great Britain in 1889, were joined to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1937. Settlement of Manra, Nikumaroro, and Orona islands by Gilbertese colonists in 1938 proved infeasible over time because of inconsistent rainfall. The entire population was moved to the Solomon Islands in 1958 and 1963. After 1939 Kanton and Enderbury were under joint U.S.-British administration for use as stops on transpacific airline flights. This arrangement ended when all of the Phoenix Islands became part of independent Kiribati in 1979. Kanton is the only inhabited atoll of the Phoenix group.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Phoenix Islands —   [ fiːnɪks aɪləndz], die Phönixinseln …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Phoenix Islands — The Phoenix Islands are a group of eight atolls and two submerged coral reefs, lying in the central Pacific Ocean east of the Gilbert Islands and west of the Line Islands. They are a part of the Republic of Kiribati. During the late 1930s they… …   Wikipedia

  • Phoenix Islands — Îles Phœnix Pour les articles homonymes, voir Phoenix. Îles Phœnix Phoenix Islands (en) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Phoenix Islands — Admin ASC 1 Code Orig. name Phoenix Islands Country and Admin Code KI.03 KI …   World countries Adminstrative division ASC I-II

  • Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme — The Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme was begun in 1938 in the western Pacific ocean and was the last attempt at human colonisation within the British Empire.Conceived by Henry E. Harry Maude, lands commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands… …   Wikipedia

  • Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme — Zur Umsiedlung vorgesehene Phoenixinseln (mit Enderbury) Nach dem Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme (deutsch: Besiedlungsprogramm für die Phoenixinseln) von 1938 sollten Bewohner der übervölkerten südlichen Gilbertinseln auf drei unbewohnte… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Phoenix Islands — a group of eight coral islands in the central Pacific: part of Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands). 11 sq. mi. (28 sq. km) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Phoenix Islands — geographical name islands W Pacific belonging to Kiribati …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Phoenix Islands — Phoe′nix Is′lands n. pl. geg a group of eight coral islands in the central Pacific: part of Kiribati. 11 sq. mi. (28 sq. km) …   From formal English to slang

  • Phoenix Islands — /finɪks ˈaɪləndz/ (say feeniks uyluhndz) plural noun eight coral islands in the central Pacific; the two largest are under British US control; the six smaller atolls are now part of Kiribati. 28 km2 …  

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”