South Tarawa
| South Tarawa (Teinainano) |
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 South Tarawa
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| Coordinates: 01°19′32″N 172°59′00″E / 1.32556°N 172.9833333°ECoordinates: 01°19′32″N 172°59′00″E / 1.32556°N 172.9833333°E | |
| Country |  Kiribati |
| Island group | Gilbert Islands |
| Atoll | Tarawa |
| Population (2005)[1] | |
| • Total | 40,311 |
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South Tarawa (in Gilbertese and English: Teinainano Urban Council or TUC) is the official capital of the Republic of Kiribati on Tarawa Atoll[2]. The meaning of Teinainano is "down of the mast", alluding to the sail-shape of the atoll. As of 2005 its population was of 40,311.[1]
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[edit] Overview
The South Tarawa population center consists of all the small islets between Bairiki (on the west) to Temaiku/Bonriki on the east. All of several once separate islets are joined by causeways, forming one long islet on the reef along the southern side of the Tarawa Lagoon. There is also a relatively new causeway—the Japanese Causeway—that links South Tarawa to Betio, out of South Tarawa.
There is a Kiribati Teacher College and a University of the South Pacific campus on South Tarawa. Bairiki is sometimes considered the capital of Kiribati because at one time both the Parliament and the Presidency (and main administrative offices) were located there. The Parliament meets on Ambo islet; various ministries are scattered between South Tarawa, Betio and Christmas Island (ministry of the Line and Phoenix islands).
The Roman Catholic diocese and the Kiribati Protestant Church (Congregational) are situated on South Tarawa.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Composition
South Tarawa is composed by the islets of Bairiki, Betio, Bonriki and by the submerged one of Bikerman. Its territory includes 16 villages: Bairiki (executive), Ambo (legislative), Betio (judicial) are the main political centres of the capital.
| South Tarawa: Places and population | |||
| Census area | Village | 1978[3] | 2005[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Tanaea | 27 | 91 |
| Bonriki | 635 | 2,119 | |
| Temwaiku | - | 2,011 | |
| Causeway | - | 1,780 | |
| Bikenibeu | 3,971 | 6,170 | |
| Abarao | 322 | 908 | |
| Eita | 612 | 2,299 | |
| Tangintebu | 128 | 94 | |
| Taborio | 187 | 955 | |
| West | Ambo | - | 1,688 |
| Banraeaba | 501 | 1,789 | |
| Antebuka | 504 | 390 | |
| New Campus | Teaoraereke | 848 | 3,939 |
| Nanikai | 604 | 803 | |
| Bairiki | 1,956 | 2,766 | |
| Betio | Betio | 7,626 | 12,509 |
| Total | 17,921 | 40,311 | |
[edit] Bairiki
Bairiki is a village and an islet now part of South Tarawa, and at one time itself the center of government (and therefore, capital) of Kiribati. One of three post offices on Tarawa is located at Bairiki. Bairiki Islet is the most southern islet on the atoll of Tarawa. About nine islets (of some 23 others on Tarawa) are larger than Bairiki.
Bairiki includes the main administrative center of the Republic of Kiribati (presidency and most of the ministries), but the Parliament has since moved to Ambo, halfway between Bairiki and Bonriki. In the village there is a small port (the main port for Tarawa is on Betio Islet) and near Bairiki is a campus belonging to the University of the South Pacific.
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Bairiki | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.1 (88.0) |
31.2 (88.2) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.4 (88.6) |
31.4 (88.5) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.6 (88.9) |
31.6 (88.8) |
31.4 (88.6) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.46 (88.63) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24.5 (76.1) |
25.0 (77.0) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.7 (78.2) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
25.7 (78.2) |
25.7 (78.3) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
25.36 (77.65) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 272 (10.7) |
201 (7.9) |
188 (7.4) |
183 (7.2) |
163 (6.4) |
137 (5.4) |
157 (6.2) |
122 (4.8) |
89 (3.5) |
89 (3.5) |
102 (4) |
203 (8) |
1,905 (75) |
| Source: World Weather Online [4] | |||||||||||||
[edit] See also
- Bairiki National Stadium
- Bonriki International Airport
- Te Umanibong
- Ambo Declaration (during Tarawa Climate Change Conference)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Kiribati 2005 census of population and housing. Provisional table
- ^ Country files at earth-info.nga.mil
- ^ Report of the 1978 Census of population and housing. Republic of Kiribati 1980, Vol. 1, S. 6-7
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Bairiki, Kiribati". Weatherbase. 2011. http://www.worldweatheronline.com/weather-averages/Kiribati/1237148/Bairiki/1237162/info.aspx916100&refer=wikipedia. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
[edit] External links
Media related to South Tarawa at Wikimedia Commons
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