View source for Kiritimati

{{Short description|Coral atoll in the northern Line Islands, Kiribati}}
{{about|Kiribati's atoll in the Pacific Ocean|Australia's territory|Christmas Island|other uses|Christmas Island (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox islands
| name              = Kiritimati<br />(Christmas Island)
| image             = Kiritimati-EO.jpg
| image_caption     = Photograph from the International Space Station
| image_map         = KI Line islands.PNG
| image_map_caption = Map of the Line Islands
| pushpin_map       = Kiribati#Pacific Ocean
| pushpin_label     = Kiritimati
| location          = North [[Pacific Ocean]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|01|51|00|N|157|24|00|W|region:KI-L_type:isle_scale:500000|display=inline,title}}
| country           = {{flag|Kiribati}}
| country1_admin_divisions_title = Island council
| country1_admin_divisions = Kiritimati
| country1_largest_city_type = settlement
| country1_largest_city = [[Tabwakea]]
| country1_largest_city_population = {{Wikidata|property|Q7673655|P1082}}
| archipelago       = [[Line Islands]]
| area_km2          = 312.38
| highest_mount     = Joe's Hill
| elevation_m       = 13
| population        = 7,369
| population_as_of  = 2020 census
| density_km2       = 16.6
| languages         = [[Gilbertese language|Gilbertese]]
| ethnic_groups     = [[I-Kiribati]]
| timezone1         = [[UTC+14:00]]
| utc_offset1       = 
}}
'''Kiritimati''' ({{IPA|gil|kiˈrɪsmæs}}), also known as '''Christmas Island''', is a [[Pacific Ocean]] [[atoll]] in the northern [[Line Islands]]. It is part of the [[Kiribati|Republic of Kiribati]]. The name is derived from the English word "Christmas" written in [[Gilbertese language|Gilbertese]] according to its [[phonology]], in which the combination {{lang|gil|ti}} is pronounced /s/.

Kiritimati is one of the world's largest atolls in terms of land area, consisting of about {{convert|312.38|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} land area and a {{convert|328|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} network of [[lagoon]]s;.<ref name = teebaki1993/> The atoll is about {{convert|150|km|mi|abbr=on}} in perimeter, while the lagoon shoreline extends for over {{convert|48|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref name = streets1877/> Kiritimati comprises over 70% of the total land area of Kiribati, a country encompassing 33 Pacific atolls and islands.<ref name="K2012">{{cite web|work= Office of Te Beretitenti – Republic of Kiribati Island Report Series|title= 20. Kiritimati|date= 2012|url= http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/20_KIRITIMATI-revised-2012.pdf|access-date= 28 April 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160714074937/http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/20_KIRITIMATI-revised-2012.pdf|archive-date= 14 July 2016|url-status= live}}</ref>

It lies {{convert|232|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of the [[equator]], {{convert|2160|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} south of [[Honolulu]], and {{convert|5360|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} from [[San Francisco]]. Kiritimati is in the world's furthest forward time zone, [[UTC+14]], and is therefore one of the first inhabited places on Earth to experience New Year's Day (see also [[Caroline Island#Time zone realignment|Caroline Atoll]], Kiribati). Although it lies {{convert|2460|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} east of the 180th meridian, the Republic of Kiribati realigned the [[International Date Line]] in 1995, placing Kiritimati to the west of the dateline.

[[Nuclear test]]s were [[Operation Grapple|conducted on and around Kiritimati by the United Kingdom]] in the late 1950s, and [[Operation Dominic|by the United States in 1962]]. During these tests, the island was not evacuated, exposing the i-Kiribati residents and the British, New Zealand, and Fijian servicemen to nuclear radiation.

The entire island is a [[wildlife sanctuary]];<ref name="IRD">{{cite web |author1=Edward R. Lovell |author2=Taratau Kirata |author3=Tooti Tekinaiti |work=Centre IRD de Nouméa |title=Status report for Kiribati's coral reefs |date=September 2002 |url=https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers14-11/010032214.pdf |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref> access to five particularly sensitive areas is restricted.<ref name = teebaki1993 />

==History==
[[File:Orthographic projection over Kiritimati.png|thumb|left|Location of Kiritimati]]
Kiritimati was initially inhabited by [[Polynesians|Polynesian]] people. [[Radiometric dating]] from sites on the island place the period of human use between 1250 and 1450 AD.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=DiPiazzi |first=Anne |title=An Island for Gardens, an Island for Birds and Voyaging: A Settlement Pattern for Kiritimati and Tabuaeran, Two 'Mystery Islands' in the Northern Lines, Republic of Kiribati |date=June 2001 |journal=The Journal of the Polynesian Society |volume=110 |issue=2 |pages=149–170 |jstor=20706989 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Anderson |first=Atholl |date=2000 |title=Towards a First Prehistory of Kiritmati (Christmas) Island, Republic of Kiribati  |url=http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document/Volume_109_2000/Volume_109,_No._3/Towards_a_first_prehistory_of_Kiritimati_(Christmas)_Island,_Republic_of_Kiribati,_by_Atholl_Anderson,_et_al,_p_273-294/p1 |journal=Journal of the Polynesian Society |volume=109 |issue=3 |pages=273–294 |access-date=20 March 2022 |archive-date=13 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213125412/http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_109_2000/Volume_109%2C_No._3/Towards_a_first_prehistory_of_Kiritimati_%28Christmas%29_Island%2C_Republic_of_Kiribati%2C_by_Atholl_Anderson%2C_et_al%2C_p_273-294/p1 }}</ref> Permanent human settlement on Kiritimati likely didn't occur until 1882. [[Stratigraphy|Stratigraphic]] layers excavated in fire pits show alternating bands of charcoal indicating heavy use and local soil indicating a lack of use. As such, some researchers have suggested that Kiritimati was used intermittently (likely by people from [[Tabuaeran]] to the north) as a place to gather resources such as birds and turtles in a similar fashion to the [[Ethnography|ethnographically]] documented use of the five central atolls of the [[Caroline Islands]].<ref name=":0"/>

Archaeological sites on the island are concentrated along the east (windward) side of the island and known sites represent a series of habitation sites, [[marae]], and supporting structures such as canoe storage sheds and navigational aids.<ref name=":1" />

The atoll was then discovered by Europeans with the Spanish expedition of [[Hernando de Grijalva]] in 1537, that charted it as ''Acea''.<ref>{{cite book |first=James |last=Burney |author-link=James Burney |year=1803 |title=A Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean |volume=1 |pages=181–182   |editor-first=Luke |editor-last=Hansard |publisher=Luke Hansard}}</ref><ref name="GV">{{cite book |last=Spate |first=Oskar Hermann Khristian |publisher=ANU Press |title=The Spanish Lake: The Pacific since Magellan |volume=I |chapter=Chapter&nbsp;4. Magellan's Successors: Loaysa to Urdaneta – two failures: Grijalva and Villalobos |date=October 2008 |doi=10.22459/SL.11.2004 |isbn=978-1-920942-17-5 |chapter-url=http://press.anu.edu.au/spanish_lake/mobile_devices/ch04s05.html |access-date=28 April 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717081750/http://press.anu.edu.au//spanish_lake/mobile_devices/ch04s05.html |archive-date=17 July 2014 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Maude |first=H.E. |title=Spanish discoveries in the Pacific |journal=Journal of the Polynesian Society |place=Wellington, New Zealand |year=1959 |volume=68 |issue=4 |page=296}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Brand |first=Donald D. |title=The Pacific Basin: A history of its geographical explorations |publisher=The American Geographical Society |place=New York|year=1967 |page=122}}</ref> This discovery was referred by a contemporary, the Portuguese [[António Galvão]], governor of [[Ternate]], in his book ''Tratado dos Descubrimientos'' of 1563.<ref>{{cite book |last=Galvão |first=António |author-link=António Galvão |title=The Discoveries of the World, from their First Original unto the Year of our Lord 1555 |publisher=Hakluyt Society |place=London |year=1865 |series=Series&nbsp;I |volume=30}}</ref> During his [[Third voyage of James Cook|third voyage]], [[James Cook|Captain James Cook]] visited the island on Christmas Eve (24&nbsp;December) 1777<ref name="JR1">{{cite web |title=Christmas Island History: Line Islands, Republic of Kiribati |url=http://www.janeresture.com/kiribati_line/christmas_island.htm |publisher=Jane Resture |access-date=27 January 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106024529/http://www.janeresture.com/kiribati_line/christmas_island.htm |archive-date=6 January 2017}}</ref> and the island was put on a map in 1781 as ''île des Tortues'' (Turtles Island) by {{ill|Tobias Conrad Lotter|de}} in [[Augsburg]].{{efn|This is the first separately-issued map to depict [[Hawaii|Sandwich&nbsp;Islands]] (''O-Why-hee'') and Christmas Island: Two panels of text, beneath the map, in both French and German, mention the discoveries and report that Christmas Island was not inhabited. The text also claims that it is based on a map published in ''[[The Gentleman's Magazine]]'' of 1780. This previously-produced map, from the ''Gentleman's Magazine'', was published by the elder [[Thomas Kitchin]], initially in July&nbsp;1780. [[Tobias Conrad Lotter]] (1717–1777) was also an engraver. James Cook described it:
:"On the 24th, about half an hour after day-break, land was discovered bearing North East by East, half East. Upon a nearer approach, it was found to be one of those low islands so common in this ocean; that is, a narrow bank of land incloseing the sea within. A few cocoa-nut trees were seen in two or three places; but in general, the land has a very barren appearance. ... The meeting with Soundings determined me to anchor to try to get some turtle, as the island seemed to be a good place for them and to be without inhabitents."<ref>{{cite book |first1=James |last1=Cook |author-link=James Cook |first2=James |last2=King |first3=William |last3=Anderson |editor-first=John |editor-last=Douglas |date=June 1784 |title=Third voyage of James Cook |volume=2 |page=180}}</ref>}} [[Whaling]] vessels visited the island from at least 1822.<ref>{{cite book |editor-first=Robert |editor-last=Langdon |title=Where the Whalers Went: An index to the Pacific ports and islands visited by American whalers (and some other ships) in the 19th&nbsp;century |place=Canberra, AU |publisher=Pacific Manuscripts Bureau |year=1984 |page=149 |isbn=0-86784-471-X}}</ref> and it was claimed by the United States under the [[Guano Islands Act]] of 1856,<ref>{{cite report |title=Formerly Disputed Islands |publisher=U.S. [[Department of the Interior]] |department=Office of Insular Affairs |url=http://www.doi.gov/oia/Islandpages/disputedpage.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014736/http://www.doi.gov/oia/Islandpages/disputedpage.htm |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref> though little actual mining of [[guano]] took place.

[[File:Hastings TG 582 over London, Xmas Island Aug 1956.jpg|thumb|View of the village of [[London, Kiribati|London]] on Kiritimati, from a [[Handley Page Hastings]] of the [[RAF]], 1956.]]
Permanent settlement started in 1882, mainly by workers in coconut plantations and fishermen. In 1902, the British Government granted a 99-year lease on the island to [[Levers Pacific Plantations]]. The company planted 72,863&nbsp;coconut palms on the island and introduced [[Pinctada maxima|silver-lipped pearl oysters]] into the lagoon. The settlement did not endure: Extreme drought killed 75% of the coconut palms, and the island was abandoned from 1905 to 1912.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

Many of the [[toponym]]s in the island date to Father [[Emmanuel Rougier]], a French priest who leased the island from 1917 to 1939, and planted some 500,000&nbsp;[[coconut]] trees there.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.roland-klinger.de/christmas-island/images/Beslu-1998-e.pdf |title=Christmas Island and Father Rougier |website=roland-klinger.de |author=Christian Beslu |year=1998}}</ref> He lived in his ''Paris'' house (now only small ruins) located at ''Benson Point'', across the Burgle Channel from ''Londres'' at ''Bridges Point'' (today [[London, Kiribati|London]]) where he established the port. He gave the name of ''Poland'' to a village where Stanisław (Stanislaus) Pełczyński, his Polish plantation manager then lived.

Joe English, of Medford, Massachusetts, Rougier's plantation manager from 1915 to 1919, named ''Joe's Hill'' (some {{convert|12|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=semicolon}} high) after himself. English and two teenagers were marooned on the island for a year and a half (1917–1919) as transport had stopped due to the [[Spanish flu]] breaking out in [[Tahiti]] and around the world. English was later rescued by British [[admiral]] [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|John Jellicoe]]. English, thinking that the rescue ship was German and the war was still in effect, pulled his [[revolver]] on the admiral Jellicoe, causing a short standoff until some explanation defused the situation.{{efn|After his rescue, English's adventures were chronicled in the ''[[The Boston Globe|Boston Globe]]'' https://www.roland-klinger.de/christmas-island/english.htm}}

Kiritimati was occupied by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] in [[World War II]] with the U.S. in control of the island garrison.{{efn|The first contingent of Americans was a company from the [[102nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|102nd&nbsp;Infantry Regiment]], a National Guard unit from [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whmilmuseum.org/the-102nd/ |title=The 102nd |publisher=West Haven Veterans Museum and Learning Center |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> }} The atoll was important to hold, since Japanese occupation would allow interdiction of the Hawaii-to-Australia supply route. For the first few months there were next to no recreational facilities on the island, and the men amused themselves by shooting sharks in the lagoon. The island's first airstrip was constructed at this time<ref name=teebaki1993/> to supply the [[US Army Air Force|Air Force]] weather station and communications center. The airstrip also provided rest and refuelling facilities for planes travelling between Hawaii and the South Pacific. The 1947 census listed only 47&nbsp;inhabitants on the island. The U.S. Guano Islands Act claim was formally ceded by the [[Treaty of Tarawa]] between the U.S. and Kiribati. The treaty was signed in 1979 and ratified in 1983.

===Spain's sovereignty rights===
During the dispute over the [[Caroline Islands]] between Germany and Spain in 1885 which was arbitrated by [[Pope Leo XIII]], the [[sovereignty]] of Spain over the Caroline and [[Palau]] islands as part of the [[Spanish East Indies]] was analysed by a commission of [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinals]] and confirmed by an agreement signed on 17&nbsp;December 1885. Its Article&nbsp;2 specifies the limits of Spanish sovereignty in [[Micronesia|South Micronesia]], being formed by the Equator and 11°N&nbsp;Latitude and by 133° and 164°&nbsp;Longitude. In 1899, Spain sold the Marianas, Carolines, and Palau to Germany after its defeat in 1898 in the [[Spanish–American War]]. However Emilio Pastor Santos, a researcher of the [[Spanish National Research Council]], claimed in 1948<ref name=Pastor-Santos-1950/> that there was historical basis to argue that Kiritimati ("Acea" on the Spanish maps) and some other islands had never been considered part of the Carolines, supported by the charts and maps of the time.{{efn|Based on Pastor Santos' interpretation, Kiritimati was not included in the description of the territory transferred to Germany, since it wasn't part of [[Caroline Islands|the Carolines]], and therefore was not affected on the part of Spain to any cessation of transfer. Theoretically Spain would then have the only jurisdiction and right to the island. Pastor Santos presented his thesis to the Spanish government in 1948. In the Council of Ministers of Spain on 12&nbsp;January 1949, the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Spain)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] declared that the proposal had passed to the first stage of public attention. The Cabinet of Diplomatic Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs circulated the following note:
:The Minister of Foreign Affairs informed the Council of Ministers of the situation in which we find ourselves in view of information and public commentary in the press and because of the requests made of the Spanish administration. The Ministry recognises that it is a certain fact and historic truth due to Article&nbsp;3 of the Treaty of 1&nbsp;July 1899, that Spain reserved a series of rights in Micronesia and for another thing, the specifications of the territories which Spain ceded in 1899 leaves apart certain groups of islands in the same zone.<ref name=Pastor-Santos-1950/>{{rp|page=21}}

However, no Spanish government has made any attempt in this respect.<ref name=Pastor-Santos-1950/>{{refn|name=Weaver-1967|{{cite report |last=Weaver |first=Zay |title=Territories under Spanish Sovereignty in Oceania |publisher=Palau Museum |place=Koror |year=1967}} – partial translation of Pastor y Santos (1950)<ref name=Pastor-Santos-1950/>}}
}} Despite having sought acknowledgement of the issue regarding interpretation of the treaty, no Spanish government has made any attempt to assert sovereignty over Kiritimati, and the case remains a historical curiosity.<ref name=Weaver-1967/>

===Nuclear bomb tests===
{{See also|Operation Grapple|Operation Dominic}}
During the [[Cold War]] Kiritimati was used for [[nuclear weapons testing]] by the United Kingdom and the US.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theconversation.com/the-atomic-history-of-kiritimati-a-tiny-island-where-humanity-realised-its-most-lethal-potential-114870 |title=The atomic history of Kiritimati – a tiny island where humanity realised its most lethal potential |publisher=The Conversation |date=4 July 2019 |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> The United Kingdom conducted its first [[hydrogen bomb]] test series, [[Operation Grapple|Grapple 1–3]], at [[Malden Island]] from 15&nbsp;May to 19 June 1957 and used Kiritimati as the operation's main base. On 8 November 1957, the first H-bomb was detonated over the southeastern tip of Kiritimati in the [[Grapple X]] test. Subsequent tests in 1958 ([[Grapple Y]] and [[Grapple Z|Z]]) also took place above or near Kiritimati.

The United Kingdom detonated some {{convert|5|MtTNT}} of nuclear payload near and {{convert|1.8|MtTNT}} directly above Kiritimati in 1957–1958, while the total yield of weapons tested by the United States in the vicinity of the island between 25&nbsp;April and 11&nbsp;July 1962 was {{convert|24|MtTNT}}. During the British [[Grapple X]] test, [[Nuclear weapon yield|yield]] was stronger than expected, resulting in the blast demolishing buildings and infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ctbto.org/specials/testing-times/8-november-1957-grapple-x |title=8 November 1957 – Grapple X |publisher=Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> Islanders were usually not evacuated during the nuclear weapons testing, and data on the environmental and public health impact of these tests remains contested.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.justsecurity.org/56127/devastating-legacy-british-american-nuclear-testing-kiritimati-christmas-malden-islands/ |title=The Devastating Legacy of British and American Nuclear Testing at Kiritimati (Christmas) and Malden Islands  |publisher=Just Security |date=11 May 2018 |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> Servicemen believe that cancer and genetic damage were consequences of their occupational exposure and have sought apologies and compensation without success.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-02-16 |title=DNA tests for UK's nuclear bomb veterans |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-43075718 |access-date=2023-01-31}}</ref> A spokesperson for the UK's [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] stated in 2018 that "the [[National Radiological Protection Board]] has carried out three large studies of nuclear test veterans and found no valid evidence to link participation in these tests to ill health."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-06-18 |title=Nuclear test veteran wants government apology over blasts |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-44508192 |access-date=2023-01-31}}</ref>

The United States also conducted 22&nbsp;successful nuclear detonations over the island as part of [[Operation Dominic]] in 1962. Some toponyms (like ''Banana'' and ''Main Camp'') come from the nuclear testing period, during which at times over 4,000&nbsp;servicemen were present. By 1969, military interest in Kiritimati had ended and the facilities were mostly dismantled. However, some communications, transport, and logistics facilities were converted for civilian use, which Kiritimati uses to serve as the administrative centre for the Line Islands.<ref name="teebaki1993" />

<gallery>
Grapple Y test.jpg|The British ''Grapple Y'' test on 28 April 1958
Kiritimati bomb anchor.jpg|The bombs for the British ''Grapple Z1'' and ''Z4'' tests were hoisted by balloon; this is the East Point balloon anchor.
Project 26 - Operation Dominic (Johnston Island; Christmas Island; Maui, Hawaii) Detonation.jpg|A US test in the ''[[Operation Dominic]]'' series, 1962 
Memorial tablet in Paisley.jpg|Memorial tablet in [[Paisley (Scotland)|Paisley]] remembering the people involved in the tests
</gallery>

==Present status==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin: 0.5em 0 0.5em 1em; float:right; clear:right; text-align: right;"
|+ Kiritimati population by village
! No.
! Village
! Population<br />(2015)<ref name=Census-Population-Housing-2015/>
|- 
! scope="col" | 1
| [[Tabwakea]]
| 3,001
|- 
! scope="col" | 2
| [[London, Kiribati|London]]
| 1,895
|- 
! scope="col" | 3
| [[Banana, Kiribati|Banana]] {{small|<br />(Banana Wells)}}
| 1,209
|-
! scope="col" | 4
| [[Poland, Kiribati|Poland]] || 351
|- 
! scope="col" | 5
| [[Paris, Kiribati|Paris]] {{small|(ruins)}}
| 0
|- class="sortbottom" style="background: #eaecf0;"
| colspan="2" | '''Kiritimati'''
| '''6,456'''
|}

The island's population increased from about 2,000 in 1989 to about 5,000 in the early 2000s, and reached 7,369 at the 2020 Census. Kiritimati has three representatives in the [[Maneaba ni Maungatabu]]. There are five main villages on the island, four populated and one abandoned; Banana, Tabwakea and London, which are located along the main road on the northern part of the island, and Poland (near South West Point) and unpopulated Paris (near Benson Point), which are across the main lagoon to the south.<ref name=K2012/><ref name=Census-Population-Housing-2015>{{cite report |chapter-url=http://www.mfed.gov.ki/statistics/documents/2015_Population_Census_Report_Volume_1final_211016.pdf |title=Report on the Kiribati 2015 Census of Population and Housing |chapter=Vol&nbsp;1: Basic Information and Tables. Part&nbsp;B: Personal (Population) Tables. Table&nbsp;3: Population by Village, Sex and Age Group |year=2015 |at=S. 50 |access-date=7 July 2020 |archive-date=29 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029145745/http://www.mfed.gov.ki/statistics/documents/2015_Population_Census_Report_Volume_1final_211016.pdf  }}</ref>

London is the main village and hosts the port facility, and the ministry of the Line and Phoenix islands.
Poland hosts a Catholic church, dedicated under the auspices of [[Stanislaus of Szczepanów|Saint Stanislaus]].
Banana is near [[Cassidy International Airport]] but may be relocated closer to London to prevent groundwater contamination.
Paris is an abandoned village and is no longer listed in census reports.

===Education===
There is a primary school in Poland and two high schools on the road between Tabwakea and Banana: one [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]], St. Francis High School,<ref name=Tabiteuea-North-2008/> and one [[Protestant]]. The government high school, Melaengi Tabai Secondary School, is located on [[Tabuaeran]] (though the government of Kiribati wished to re-open its campus on Kiritimati instead).<ref>"[https://vsa.org.nz/assets/Volunteer/ADSW8/41041-KIR-Eng-Language-Trainer.pdf VSA Assignment Description Assignment title English Language Trainer (of Trainers/ Teachers) Country Kiribati] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706162000/https://vsa.org.nz/assets/Volunteer/ADSW8/41041-KIR-Eng-Language-Trainer.pdf |date=6 July 2018 }}." Volunteer Service Abroad (Te Tūao Tāwāhi). Retrieved on 6 July 2018. p. 7.</ref> The [[University of Hawaii]] has a [[climatological]] research facility on Kiritimati.<ref name=teebaki1993/>  The Kiribati Institute of Technology (KIT), based on Tarawa, opened a campus on Kiritimati in June 2019.

===Commerce===
Most of the atoll's food supplies have to be imported. [[Potable water]] can be in short supply, especially around November in [[El Niño|La Niña]] years. A large and modern [[jetty]], handling some cargo, was built by the Japanese at London. Marine fish provide a large portion of the island's nutrition, although [[overfishing]] has caused a drastic decrease in the populations of large, predatory fish over the last several years.<ref>{{cite web |date=2013-09-23 |title=Line Islands: A gradient of human impact on reefs |website=World Resources Institute |language=en |url=https://www.wri.org/line-islands-gradient-human-impact-reefs |access-date=2020-06-17 |archive-date=20 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620094517/https://www.wri.org/line-islands-gradient-human-impact-reefs}}</ref>

Exports of the atoll are mainly [[copra]] (dried coconut pulp); the state-owned coconut [[plantation]] covers about {{convert|51|km2|sqmi}}. In addition [[aquarium]] fish and [[seaweed]] are exported. A 1970s project to commercially breed ''[[Artemia salina]]'' brine shrimp in the salt ponds was abandoned in 1978. In recent years there have been attempts to explore the viability of live [[crayfish]] and chilled fish exports and salt production.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

===Transport===
[[Cassidy International Airport]] (CXI) is located just north of [[Banana, Kiribati|Banana]] and North East Point. It has a paved runway with a length of {{convert|6900|ft|m|0}} and was for some time the only airport in Kiribati to serve the Americas, via an [[Fiji Airways|Air Pacific]] (now [[Fiji Airways]]) flight to [[Honolulu]], Hawaii. Te Mauri Travel no longer offers weekly charter flights from Honolulu.
[[File:Cassidy international airport (CXI).jpg|thumb|Cassidy International Airport, Kiritimati]]
[[File:London, Kiritimati.jpg|thumb]]

[[Air Tungaru]] was serving Kiritimati in 1981 with nonstop [[Boeing 727-100]] jet flights to [[Honolulu]] (HNL), [[Papeete, Tahiti]] (PPT) and [[Tarawa]] (TRW) with each service operating once a week with the service to Papeete being operated in association with [[Union de Transports Aeriens]] (UTA), a French airline.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 June 1981 |title=Air Tungaru Flight Schedule |url=https://www.timetableimages.com/i-uz/vk8106b.jpg}}</ref>  [[Aloha Airlines]] introduced its weekly nonstop jet service between Honolulu and the island in 1986 operated with a [[Boeing 737-200]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.departedwings.com/The%20Airlines/Aloha%20Airlines/Aloha%20Airlines.htm | title=Aloha Airlines | access-date=26 February 2024 | archive-date=24 July 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724061731/http://departedwings.com/The%20Airlines/Aloha%20Airlines/Aloha%20Airlines.htm }}</ref> Aloha was continuing to serve Kiritimati from 2000 to 2003 with 737 jet service to and from Honolulu nonstop.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.departedflights.com/AQ011000.html | title=Aloha Airlines January 10, 2000 Route Map }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.departedflights.com/AQ090203.html | title=Aloha Airlines September 2, 2003 Route Map }}</ref>  Air Pacific ran flights to Kiritimati until 2008, when they ceased service over concerns about the condition of the runway.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fijisun.com.fj/2010/03/27/kiritimati-calling/ |title=Kiritimati calling |publisher=Fiji Sun |date=27 March 2010 |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> Services resumed in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2010/06/28/christmas-isle-celebrates-resumed-air-service |title=Christmas Isle Celebrated Resumed Air Service  |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=28 June 2010 |access-date=3 December 2021 |archive-date=3 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203050152/http://www.pireport.org/articles/2010/06/28/christmas-isle-celebrates-resumed-air-service  }}</ref> A monthly air freight service is flown using a chartered {{nowrap|[[Boeing 727]]}} from [[Honolulu]] operated by [[Asia Pacific Airlines (Guam)|Asia Pacific Airlines]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Flight Schedule |date=2010-07-06 |website=Flyapa.com |publisher=Asia Pacific Airlines |url=http://flyapa.com/sched.asp?SchedDate=7/6/2010 |access-date=2013-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711012953/http://flyapa.com/sched.asp?SchedDate=7%2F6%2F2010 |archive-date=11 July 2011 }}</ref>

[[Aeon Field]] is an abandoned airport, constructed before the British nuclear tests.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.policyforum.net/fishing-for-new-friends/ |title=Fishing for new friends |publisher=Asia & the Pacific Policy Society |date=27 August 2020 |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> It is located on the southeastern peninsula.

===Communications===
The islands' remote location in the Central Pacific has meant that communications with the world has always been challenging.
As of October 2023 all calls and data rely on satellite connection only with very slow internet connection. It now has [[3G|3G data]] towers in June 2025.

In July 2022 The Southern Cross NEXT 15,857&nbsp;km submarine cable system, entered service,<ref>{{cite web |title= Southern Cross NEXT Is Now In-Service! |url= https://www.submarinenetworks.com/en/systems/trans-pacific/southern-cross-next/southern-cross-next-launches-for-service/ |access-date=21 December 2022 |date=7 July 2022 }}</ref> connecting Los Angeles and Sydney with a dedicated 377 kilometers (one fiber pair) branch to Tabwakea, Kiritimati. The cable landing station is located in Tabwakea, owned by Bwebwerikinet Limited. As of October 2023 the landing station was built, but still not commissioned. Apart from Australia and the US, the cable will also provide direct low latency connection to Fiji, New Zealand and Tokelau.<ref>{{ cite web|title=Southern Cross NEXT Cable System Overview |url=https://www.submarinenetworks.com/en/systems/trans-pacific/southern-cross-next/southern-cross-next-cable-system-overview |first=Winston |last=Qiu |access-date=13 July 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= FCC Approves Cable Landing License for the Southern Cross Next |url= https://www.submarinenetworks.com/en/systems/trans-pacific/southern-cross-next/fcc-approves-cable-landing-license-for-the-southern-crsoss-next |access-date=13 July 2021 |date=31 July 2020 |first=Winston |last=Qui }}</ref>

===Tourism===
There is a small amount of tourism, mainly associated with anglers interested in lagoon fishing (for [[bonefish]] in particular) or offshore fishing. Week-long [[ecotourism]] packages during which some of the normally closed areas can be visited are also available.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

Christmas Island (Kiritimati) is recognized as a world-class destination for [[Fly fishing]] on its extensive, shallow hard-sand flats and clear lagoon waters. The island offers ideal conditions for species such as [[Bonefish]] and [[Giant trevally]], attracting anglers seeking both moderate-sized and trophy fish.<ref>{{cite web |last=Collins |first=Dac |title=The World's Best Saltwater Flats for Fly Fishing |website=Outdoor Life |date=15 August 2021 |url=https://www.outdoorlife.com/fishing/worlds-best-saltwater-flats-for-fly-fishing/ |access-date=13 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Schullery |first=Paul |title=Fly Fishing Christmas Island: Bonefish and Giant Trevally |website=MidCurrent |date=10 March 2022 |url=https://www.midcurrent.com/2022/03/10/fly-fishing-christmas-island/ |access-date=13 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Christmas Island Reopens to Saltwater Fly Fishing |website=Fly Fisherman |date=2 May 2023 |url=https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/christmas-island-reopens-pandemic-lockdown/473018 |access-date=13 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kiritimati: Bonefishing and Flats Fishing Paradise |website=Skinny Waters |date=2020 |url=https://www.skinny-waters.com/kiritimati-flats-fishing |access-date=13 November 2025}}</ref>

The remote location and relatively low fishing pressure allow for an immersive flats-fishing experience. Improved accessibility through renewed tourism infrastructure has helped establish Kiritimati as one of the premier saltwater fly fishing destinations in the Pacific.

In recent years, surfers have discovered that there are good waves during the Northern Hemisphere's winter season and there are interests developing to service these recreational tourists.<ref>{{cite web |title=Merry Christmas Island |series=Finding north swells in the South Pacific |website=Surfline.com |date=8 January 2010 |url=http://www.surfline.com/travel/merry-christmas-island--finding-north-swells-in-the-south-pacific_39935/1/ |access-date=2013-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111041240/http://www.surfline.com/travel/merry-christmas-island--finding-north-swells-in-the-south-pacific_39935/1 |archive-date=11 January 2010}}</ref> There is some tourism-related infrastructure, such as a small hotel, rental facilities, and food services.

===Prospective launch sites===
In the early 1950s, [[Wernher von Braun]] proposed using this island as a launch site for crewed spacecraft, based on its proximity to the equator, and the generally empty ocean down-range (east).

There is a Japanese [[JAXA]] satellite tracking station. The abandoned Aeon Field had at one time been proposed for reuse by the Japanese for their now-canceled [[HOPE-X]] space shuttle project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JAXA {{!}} High Speed Flight Demonstration "HSFD" |url=https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/hsfd/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=JAXA {{!}} Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=JAXA {{!}} Results of the Third Flight Experiment of High Speed Flight Demonstration Phase I |url=https://global.jaxa.jp/press/nasda/2002/hsfd-p1_20021116_e.html |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=global.jaxa.jp}}</ref>

Kiritimati is also located fairly close to the [[Sea Launch]] satellite launching spot at 0°&nbsp;N 154°&nbsp;W, about 370&nbsp;kilometres (200&nbsp;[[nautical mile|nmi]]) to the east in international waters.

==Geography==
[[File:Kiritimati island 77.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|{{center| [[Nautical chart]] (1977)}}]]
Kiritimati's roughly {{convert|328|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} lagoon area opens to the sea in the northwest; ''Burgle Channel'' (the entrance to the lagoon) is divided into the northern ''Cook Island Passage'' and the southern ''South Passage''. The southeastern part of the lagoon area is partially desiccated. The lagoon area currently consists of a {{convert|160|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} main lagoon at Burgle Channel. Southeast of this, the lagoon gradually transitions into a network of subsidiary lagoons, [[tidal flat]]s, partially [[hypersaline]] [[brine]] ponds and [[salt pan (geology)|salt pan]]s which have a total combined area of about {{convert|168|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Thus, the land and lagoon areas can only be given approximately, as no firm boundary exists between the main island body and the salt flats.<ref name = teebaki1993 />

Kiritimati is a [[raised coral atoll]] with about {{convert|312.38|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} land area surrounding a lagoon area of roughly the same size. Kiritimati has the largest land area in the world amongst atolls that contain a lagoon, and the third largest land area overall, after [[Lifou Island]] and [[Rennell Island]]. Kiritimati is often cited as being the world's largest atoll by land area, however, because Lifou Island and Rennell Island do not have lagoons and therefore end up being overlooked as atolls.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Calder |first=Joshua |date=2003-12-14 |title=Island Misinformation |url=http://www.worldislandinfo.com/MISINFORMATION.htm}}</ref>

In addition to the main island, there are several smaller ones. ''Cook Island'' is part of the atoll proper but unconnected to the Kiritimati mainland. It is a sand/coral island of {{convert|19|ha|acre|0|abbr=on}}, divides Burgle Channel into the northern and the southern entrance, and has a large seabird colony. Islets (''motu''s) in the lagoon include ''Motu Tabu'' ({{convert|3.5|ha|acre|1|abbr=on|disp=or}}) with its ''[[Pisonia]]'' forest and the shrub-covered ''Motu Upua'' (also called Motu Upou or Motu Upoa, {{convert|19|ha|acre|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) at the northern side, and ''Ngaontetaake'' ({{convert|2.7|ha|acre|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) at the eastern side.<ref name="teebaki1993" />

''Joe's Hill'' (originally ''La colline de Joe'') on the north coast of the south-eastern [[peninsula]], southeast of Artemia Corners, is the highest point on the atoll, at about {{convert|13|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[Above mean sea level|ASL]].<ref name="teebaki1993" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Joe's Hill |website=OpenStreetMap |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=13/1.8177/-157.3124 |access-date=18 October 2020}}</ref> On the northwestern peninsula for example, the land rises only to some {{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}},<ref name="streets1877" /> which is still considerable for an atoll. Due to its isolation in the vast Pacific Ocean, ''Joe's Hill'' is the 33rd most topographically isolated summit on Earth.

[[Vaskess Bay]] is a large bay which extends along the southwest coast of Kiritimati Island.

===Climate===
Despite its proximity to the [[Intertropical Convergence Zone|Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)]], Kiritimati is located in an equatorial dry zone and rainfall is rather low except during [[El Niño]] years; {{cvt|873|mm}} on average per year, in some years it can be as little as {{cvt|177|mm}} and much of the flats and ponds can dry up, as happened in late 1978. On the other hand, in some exceptionally wet years abundant downpours in March–April may result in a total annual precipitation of over {{cvt|2500|mm}}. Kiritimati is thus affected by regular, severe droughts. They are exacerbated by its geological structure; [[climate|climatically]] "dry" Pacific islands are more typically located in the "[[desert]] belt" at about 30°N or S [[latitude]]. Kiritimati is a raised atoll, and although it does occasionally receive plenty of [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]], little is retained given the porous [[carbonate rock]], the thin [[soil]], and the absence of dense vegetation cover on much of the island, while [[evaporation]] is constantly high.<ref name=streets1877/> Consequently, Kiritimati is one of the rather few places close to the [[Equator]] which have an effectively [[arid]] climate.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

The temperature is constantly between {{convert|24|and|30|C|F}} with more [[diurnal temperature variation]] than seasonal variation. Easterly [[trade winds]] predominate.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

<div>
{{Weather box
|location = London, Kiritimati, Kiribati
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan record high F = 89
|Feb record high F = 91
|Mar record high F = 92
|Apr record high F = 92
|May record high F = 93
|Jun record high F = 90
|Jul record high F = 90
|Aug record high F = 91
|Sep record high F = 91
|Oct record high F = 92
|Nov record high F = 92
|Dec record high F = 91

|Jan high F = 85
|Feb high F = 85
|Mar high F = 86
|Apr high F = 86
|May high F = 87
|Jun high F = 87
|Jul high F = 86
|Aug high F = 87
|Sep high F = 87
|Oct high F = 87
|Nov high F = 86
|Dec high F = 86

|Jan mean F = 80
|Feb mean F = 80
|Mar mean F = 81
|Apr mean F = 81
|May mean F = 81
|Jun mean F = 81
|Jul mean F = 81
|Aug mean F = 82
|Sep mean F = 81
|Oct mean F = 81
|Nov mean F = 81
|Dec mean F = 80

|Jan low F = 75
|Feb low F = 75
|Mar low F = 76
|Apr low F = 76
|May low F = 76
|Jun low F = 76
|Jul low F = 76
|Aug low F = 77
|Sep low F = 76
|Oct low F = 75
|Nov low F = 76
|Dec low F = 75

|Jan record low F = 66
|Feb record low F = 71
|Mar record low F = 71
|Apr record low F = 70
|May record low F = 73
|Jun record low F = 68
|Jul record low F = 72
|Aug record low F = 71
|Sep record low F = 69
|Oct record low F = 68
|Nov record low F = 67
|Dec record low F = 69

|Jan precipitation inch = 1.0
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.8
|Mar precipitation inch = 2.5
|Apr precipitation inch = 8.1
|May precipitation inch = 3.5
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.2
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.0
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.6
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.1
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.1
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.3
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.6

|Jan precipitation days = 2.4
|Feb precipitation days = 4.6
|Mar precipitation days = 6.0
|Apr precipitation days = 13.8
|May precipitation days = 6.8
|Jun precipitation days = 6.1
|Jul precipitation days = 3.0
|Aug precipitation days = 1.8
|Sep precipitation days = 0.1
|Oct precipitation days = 0.3
|Nov precipitation days = 0.7
|Dec precipitation days = 1.7

|Jan humidity = 77
|Feb humidity = 80
|Mar humidity = 80
|Apr humidity = 83
|May humidity = 81
|Jun humidity = 80
|Jul humidity = 78
|Aug humidity = 75
|Sep humidity = 74
|Oct humidity = 74
|Nov humidity = 73
|Dec humidity = 75

|source 1 = Weatherbase <ref name=Weatherbase>{{cite web
|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=98419&refer=wikipedia
|title=Weatherbase: Historical Weather for London, Kiribati
|publisher=Weatherbase
|year=2011
|access-date=14 May 2016
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611015212/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=98419&refer=wikipedia
|archive-date=11 June 2016
|url-status=live
}}
Retrieved on 24 November 2011.</ref>
|date=November 2011
}}
</div>

===Demography===

At the first census done in the [[Gilbert and Ellice Islands]] colony in 1931, there were only 38 inhabitants on the island, most of them workers of the [[Emmanuel Rougier]] Company. After WWII in 1947 there were 52 inhabitants. After the nuclear tests, in 1963, this had increased to 477, reducing to 367 by 1967 but increasing again to 674 in 1973, 1,265 in 1978, 1,737 in the 1985 census, 2,537 in 1990, 3,225 in 1995, 3,431 in 2000, 5,115 in 2005, 5,586 in 2010, 6,456 in 2015 and 7,369 in 2020. This was the fastest population growth in Kiribati.

== Ecology ==
The [[flora (plants)|flora]] and the [[fauna (animals)|fauna]] consist of [[taxa]] adapted to drought. [[Terrestrial animal|Terrestrial]] fauna is scant; there are no truly native land [[mammal]]s and only one native land bird<ref>In the strict sense, i.e. excluding the [[wikt:Special:Search/amphibious|amphibious]] [[eastern reef egret]]</ref> – Kiribati's [[endemism|endemic]] [[Acrocephalus (bird)|reed-warbler]], the [[bokikokiko]] (''Acrocephalus aequinoctialis''). The 1957 attempt to introduce the [[Endangered species|endangered]] [[Rimitara lorikeet]] (''Vini kuhlii'') has largely failed; a few birds seem to linger on, but the lack of abundant [[coconut palm]] forest, on which this tiny parrot depends, makes Kiritimati a suboptimal habitat for this [[species]].

[[File:Scaevola taccada flowers.JPG|thumb|left|Flowers of beach naupaka (''[[Scaevola taccada]]''), Kiritimati's most typical woody plant.]]

=== Flora ===
The natural vegetation on Kiritimati consists mostly of low [[shrubland]] and [[grassland]]. What little woodland exists is mainly open [[coconut|coconut palm]] (''Cocos nucifera'') plantation. There are three small woods of catchbird trees (''[[Pisonia grandis]]''), at Southeast Point, Northwest Point, and on Motu Tabu. The latter was planted there in recent times. About 50 [[Introduced species|introduced]] plant [[species]] are found on Kiritimati; as most are plentiful around settlements, former military sites and roads, it seems that these only became established in the 20th century.<ref name = teebaki1993 />

[[File:Starr 010520-0073 Tournefortia argentea.jpg|thumb|right|Tree heliotrope (''[[Heliotropium foertherianum]]'') in typical habitat on a [[Hawaiian Islands|Hawaiian island]].]]
Beach naupaka (''[[Scaevola taccada]]'') is the most common [[shrub]] on Kiritimati; beach naupaka scrub dominates the vegetation on much of the island, either as pure stands or interspersed with tree heliotrope (''[[Heliotropium foertherianum]]'') and bay cedar (''[[Suriana|Suriana maritima]]''). The latter species is dominant on the drier parts of the lagoon flats where it grows up to {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall. Tree heliotrope is most commonly found a short distance from the sea- or lagoon-shore. In some places near the seashore, a low vegetation dominated by Polynesian heliotrope (''[[Heliotropium anomalum]]''), yellow purslane (''[[Portulaca lutea]]'') and common purslane (''[[Portulaca oleracea|P. oleracea]]'') is found. In the south and on the sandier parts, ''[[Sida fallax]]'', also growing up to 2 m tall, is abundant. On the southeastern peninsula, ''S. fallax'' grows more stunted, and Polynesian heliotrope, yellow and common purslane as well as the [[Boerhavia|spiderling]] ''[[Boerhavia repens]]'', the [[Parasitic plant|parasitic]] [[vine]] ''[[Cassytha filiformis]]'', and Pacific Island thintail (''[[Lepturus repens]]'') supplement it. The last species dominates in the coastal grasslands. The wetter parts of the lagoon shore are often covered by abundant growth of shoreline purslane (''[[Sesuvium portulacastrum]]'').<ref name = teebaki1993 />

Perhaps the most destructive of the recently introduced plants is sweetscent (''[[Pluchea odorata]]''), a [[Pluchea|camphorweed]], which is considered an [[Invasive species|invasive weed]] as it overgrows and displaces herbs and grasses. The introduced creeper ''[[Tribulus cistoides]]'', despite having also spread conspicuously, is considered to be more beneficial than harmful to the [[ecosystem]], as it provides good nesting sites for some [[seabird]]s.<ref name = teebaki1993 />

===Birds===
[[File:Sterna fuscata flight.JPG|thumb|upright|Despite massive declines in recent decades, more [[sooty tern]]s continue to nest on Kiritimati than anywhere else in the world.]]
[[File:Xmas shearwaters roosting.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Christmas shearwater]] was named after Kiritimati.]]
[[File:Red-footed Boobies.jpg|thumb|right|White-[[polymorphism (biology)|morph]] [[red-footed booby|red-footed boobies]]. Those on Kiritimati will reuse nests for several years, unlike in most other colonies.]]

:''See also "Extinction" [[#Extinction|below]].''

More than 35&nbsp;bird [[species]] have been recorded from Kiritimati. As noted above, only the [[bokikokiko]] (''Acrocephalus aequinoctialis''), perhaps a few [[Rimitara lorikeet]]s (''Vini kuhlii'') – if any remain at all – and the occasional [[eastern reef egret]] (''Egretta sacra'') make up the entire landbird fauna. About 1,000&nbsp;adult bokikokikos are to be found at any date, but mainly in mixed grass/shrubland away from the settlements.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

On the other hand, [[seabird]]s are plentiful on Kiritimati, and make up the bulk of the breeding bird population. There are 18&nbsp;species of seabirds breeding on the island, and Kiritimati is one of the most important breeding grounds anywhere in the world for several of these:<ref name=teebaki1993/>

[[Phaethontiformes]]
* Eastern [[red-tailed tropicbird]] (''Phaethon rubricauda melanorhynchus''{{efn|name=doubtful-ssp|Validity of subspecies disputed.}}) – important breeding colony; 8,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline, fewer than 3,000 in 1984

[[Charadriiformes]]
* Micronesian [[black noddy]] (''Anous minutus marcusi'') – 20,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* [[Little white tern]] (''Gygis microrhyncha''{{efn|Usually described as a sub-species ''[[Gygis alba]] microrhyncha''}}) – 8,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* Central Pacific [[sooty tern]] (''Onychoprion fuscatus oahuensis''{{efn|name=doubtful-ssp}}) – largest breeding colony in the world; around 7,000,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* [[Spectacled tern]] (''Onychoprion lunatus'') – important breeding colony; 6,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* Central [[blue-grey noddy]] (''Procelsterna cerulea cerulea'') – important breeding colony, possibly the largest worldwide of this subspecies; 4,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline

[[Procellariiformes]]
* [[Polynesian storm petrel]] (''Nesofregetta fuliginosa'') – important breeding colony; 1,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* [[Phoenix petrel]] (''Pterodroma alba'') – largest breeding colony in the world; 24,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* [[Christmas shearwater]] (''Puffinus nativitatis'') – largest [[subpopulation]] worldwide on Motu&nbsp;Upua; 12,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* [[Wedge-tailed shearwater]] (''Puffinus pacificus''<ref name=Penhallurick/>) – among the very largest breeding colonies in the world; about 1,000,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline

[[Pelecaniformes]]
* Indopacific [[lesser frigatebird]] (''Fregata ariel ariel'') – important breeding colony; 9,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* Central Pacific [[great frigatebird]] (''Fregata minor palmerstoni''{{efn|name=doubtful-ssp}}) – important breeding colony; 12,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline, 6,500 afterwards
* Austropacific [[masked booby]] (''Sula dactylatra personata'') – important breeding colony; 3,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline
* Indopacific [[red-footed booby]] (''Sula sula rubripes''{{efn|name=doubtful-ssp}}) – 12,000&nbsp;birds before the 1982–1983 decline

Kiritimati's lagoon and the saltflats are a prime location for [[migratory bird]]s to stop over or even stay all winter. The most commonly seen migrants are [[ruddy turnstone]] (''Arenaria interpres''), [[Pacific golden plover]] (''Pluvialis fulva''), [[bristle-thighed curlew]] (''Numenius tahitiensis''), and [[wandering tattler]] (''Tringa incana''); other [[seabird]]s, [[wader]]s, and even [[dabbling duck]]s can be encountered every now and then.<ref name=teebaki1993/> Around 7&nbsp;October (±5&nbsp;days), some 20&nbsp;million sooty shearwaters pass through here en route from the North Pacific feeding grounds to breeding sites around [[New Zealand]].<ref>
{{cite journal
 |last1=Shaffer |first1=Scott A.
 |title=Migratory shearwaters integrate oceanic resources across the Pacific Ocean in an endless summer
 |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]]
 |date=2006
 |volume=103 |issue=34 |pages=12799–12802
 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0603715103
 |pmid=16908846
 |pmc=1568927
 |bibcode=2006PNAS..10312799S
 |url=https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt71h247bh/qt71h247bh.pdf
|doi-access=free
 }}
</ref>

===Other fauna===
The only mammals native to the region are the common [[Polynesian rat]] (''Rattus exulans'') and the goats. The rat seems to have been introduced by seafarers many centuries before Cook arrived in 1777 (he mentioned them already being present); goats have been extinct since 14&nbsp;January 2004. [[Black rat]]s (''Rattus rattus'') were present at some time, perhaps introduced by 19th-century sailors or during the nuclear tests. They were not able to gain a foothold between [[predation]] by cats and [[competitive exclusion]] by Polynesian rats, and no black rat population is found on Kiritimati today.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

Up to 2,000&nbsp;[[feral cat]]s can in some years be found on the island; the population became established in the 19th&nbsp;century. Their depredations seriously harm the birdlife. Since the late 19th&nbsp;century,<ref name=streets1877/> they have driven about 60% of the seabird species from the mainland completely, and during particular dry spells they will cross the mudflats and feast upon the birds on the ''motu''s. [[Spectacled tern]] chicks seem to be a favourite food of the local cat population. There are some measures being taken to ensure the cat population does not grow. That lowering the cat population by some amount would much benefit Christmas and its inhabitants is generally accepted, but the situation is too complex to simply go and eradicate them outright. A limited population of [[feral pigs]] exists. They were once plentiful and wreaked havoc especially on the ''[[Onychoprion]]'' and [[Anous|noddies]]. [[Boar hunting|Pig hunting]] by locals has been encouraged, and was highly successful at limiting the pig population to a sustainable level, while providing a source of cheap protein for the islanders.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

[[File:Lepidodactylus lugubris.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mourning gecko]], a common sight all over the tropical Pacific]]
[[File:Coenobita perlatus.jpg|thumb|right|A [[strawberry land hermit crab]] in its shell]]
There are some [[supertramp (ecology)|"supertramp"]] [[lizard]]s which have reached the island by their own means. Commonly seen are the [[mourning gecko]] (''Lepidodactylus lugubris'') and the [[skink]] ''[[Cryptoblepharus boutonii]]''; the [[four-clawed gecko]] (''Gehyra mutilata'') is seen less often.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

There are some [[crustacean]]s of note to be found on Kiritimati and in the waters immediately adjacent. The [[wikt:Special:Search/amphibious|amphibious]] [[coconut crab]] (''Birgus latro'') is not as common as on [[Teraina]]. [[Ghost crab]]s ([[genus]] ''Ocypode''), ''[[Cardisoma carnifex]]'' and ''[[Geograpsus grayi]]'' [[land crab]]s, the [[strawberry land hermit crab]] (''Coenobita perlatus'') are also notable.<ref name=teebaki1993/> Introduced brine shrimp ''[[Artemia salina]]'' populate the island's saline ponds.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

==Ecology of the reef==
Overfishing and pollution have impacted on the ocean surrounding the island. In the ocean surrounding uninhabited islands of the Northern Line Islands, [[Shark]]s comprised 74% of the top predator biomass (329&nbsp;g/m<sup>2</sup>) at [[Kingman Reef]] and 57% at [[Palmyra Atoll]] (97&nbsp;g/m<sup>2</sup>), whereas low shark numbers have been observed at [[Tabuaeran]] and Kiritimati.<ref name="SAS">{{cite journal |first1=Stuart A. |last1=Sandin |display-authors=etal |date=27 February 2008 |title=Baselines and degradation of coral reefs in the northern Line Islands |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=3 |issue=2 |article-number=e1548 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0001548 |pmid=18301734 |bibcode=2008PLoSO...3.1548S |s2cid=12343048 |pmc=2244711 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[Green turtle]]s (''Chelonia mydas'') regularly nest in small numbers on Kiritimati. The lagoon is famous among sea anglers worldwide for its [[bonefish]] (''Albula glossodonta''), and has been stocked with ''[[Oreochromis]]'' [[tilapia]] to decrease [[overfishing]] of marine species. Though the tilapias thrive in [[brackish water]] of the flats, they will not last long should they escape into the surrounding ocean.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

[[Giant trevally|Giant Trevally]] (Caranx ignobilis) are found in large numbers both inside and outside of the lagoon and along the surrounding reefs. Very large specimens of Giant Trevally can be found around these surrounding reefs and they are sought after by many fishermen in addition to Bonefish.

== Conservation and extinction ==
{{See also|Protected areas of Kiribati}}
[[File:Pluchea odorata.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Sweetscent]] (''Pluchea odorata'') has become a serious weed in parts of Kiritimati.]]
In December&nbsp;1960, the British colonial authority gazetted Kiritimati as a [[bird sanctuary]] under the "Gilbert and Ellice Island Colony Wild Birds Protection Ordinance" of 1938. Access to Cook Island, Motu Tabu, and Motu Upua was restricted. Kiritimati was declared a [[Wildlife Sanctuary]] in May&nbsp;1975, in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation Ordinance of the then self-governing colony. Ngaontetaake and the [[sooty tern]] breeding grounds at North West Point also became restricted-access zones. Two years later, active conservation measures got underway.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

To a limited extent, permits to enter the restricted areas for purposes like research or small-scale [[ecotourism]] are given. Kiribati's Wildlife Conservation Unit participates in the Kiritimati Development Committee and the Local Land Planning Board, and there exists an integrated program of wildlife conservation and education. [[New Zealand]] is a major sponsor of conservation efforts on Kiritimati.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

=== Former egg gathering ===
Egg collecting for food on a massive scale was frequent in the past but is now outlawed. The sooty terns for example could sustain occasional collection of effectively all of a season's eggs (over 10&nbsp;million), if given sufficient time to recover and if cats are absent. In theory, even egg collecting on a scale that significantly decreases costly food imports could be possible, but not until the cat and rat populations have been brought under control. [[Poaching]] remains a concern; with the population rising and spreading out on Kiritimati, formerly remote bird colonies have become more accessible; the [[red-tailed tropicbirds]] and the ''[[Sula (bird)|Sula]]'' especially are strongly affected by hunting and disturbance. Tropicbirds are mainly poached for their feathers, which are used in local arts and handicraft; it would certainly be possible to obtain them from living birds as was routinely done at the height of the Polynesian civilisation.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

=== Feral cats ===
It may seem that the former numbers of seabirds may only ever be approached again by the wholesale eradication of the feral cats. While this has been since shown to be feasible,{{efn|e.g. on remote and rugged [[subantarctic]] [[Marion Island]] with {{convert|290|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} land area.}} it is not clear whether even a severe curtailing of the cat population would be desirable: Though it previously was assumed that the small Polynesian rat is of little, if any, harm to seabirds, even [[house mouse|house mice]] have been shown to eat seabird nestlings. Most nesting birds, in particularly [[Procellariiformes]], are now accepted to be jeopardised by ''Rattus exulans''. Kiritimati's cats meanwhile, are very fond of young seabirds; it even seems that their behaviour shifts accordingly, with cats being generally less [[Territory (animal)|territorial]], and congregating in numbers at active bird colonies; they generally eschew hunting rats when seabird chicks are in plenty.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

Possession of an unneutered female cat on Kiritimati is illegal, and owners need to prevent their domestic cats from running wild (such animals are usually quickly killed in traps set for this purpose). Nighttime cat hunting has made little effect on the cat population. As noted above, vigorous protection of active nesting grounds from cats by traps and poison, supplemented by shooting, while otherwise leaving them alone to hunt rats may well be the optimal solution.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

[[File:OperationGrappleXmasIslandHbomb.jpg|thumb|upright|8&nbsp;November 1957 {{nowrap|[[Grapple X]]}} Round&nbsp;C1 – the first successful British [[hydrogen bomb]] test – detonates over Kiritimati's South East Point.]]

=== Radiation hazards ===
There is no reliable data on the environmental and public health impact of the nuclear tests conducted on the island in the late 1950s.<ref name=teebaki1993/> A 1975 study<ref>{{cite web |title=This place is the bomb |last=Wolman |first=David |date=2008-08-31 |website=Salon |url=http://www.salon.com/2008/08/31/christmas_island/ |access-date=2017-01-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202064059/http://www.salon.com/2008/08/31/christmas_island/ |archive-date=2 February 2017}}</ref> claimed that there was negligible radiation hazard; certainly, [[Nuclear fallout|fallout]] was successfully minimised. More recently however, a [[Massey University]] study of [[New Zealand]] found [[chromosomal translocation]]s to be increased about threefold on average in veterans who participated in the tests;<ref name=MU2008/> most of the relevant data remains classified to date.

=== 1982–1983 El Niño ===
The 1982–1983 "mega-[[El Niño]]" devastated seabird populations on Kiritimati. In some species, [[mortality rate|mortality]] rose to 90% and breeding success dropped to zero during that time.<ref name=teebaki1993/>

In general, El Niño conditions will cause seabird populations to drop, taking several years to recover at the present density of predators. [[Global warming]] impact on Kiritimati is thus unpredictable. El Niño events seem to become shorter but more frequent in a warmer climate.

=== Climate change ===
Much of the island's infrastructure and habitation, with the notable exception of the airport area, is located to the [[leeward]] and thus somewhat protected from storms.

A rising sea level does not appear to be particularly problematic; the increasing flooding of the subsidiary lagoons would provide easily observed forewarning, and might even benefit seabird populations by making the ''motu''s less accessible to predators. In fact, geological data suggests that Kiritimati has withstood prehistoric sea level changes well.<ref name=streets1877/><ref name=Steadman/>

The biggest hazard caused by a changing climate would seem to be more prolonged and/or severe droughts, which could even precipitate the island's abandonment (as happened in 1905). However, it is not clear how weather patterns would change, and it may be that precipitation increases.

=== Extinction ===
The [[type specimen]] of the [[Tuamotu sandpiper]] (''Prosobonia cancellata'') was collected on Christmas Island in 1778, probably on 1 or 2&nbsp;January, during [[Captain Cook]]'s visit.<ref name=Cook1784/> The expedition's [[naturalist]] [[William Anderson (naturalist)|William Anderson]] observed the bird, and it was painted by William Ellis (linked below). The single specimen was in [[Joseph Banks]]'s collection at the end of the 18th&nbsp;century, but later was lost or destroyed. There is some [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] dispute regarding the Kiritimati population.<ref name=Townsend/><ref name=Zusi/>

As all ''[[Prosobonia]]'' seem(ed) to be resident birds, unwilling to undertake long-distance migrations, an appropriate treatment would be to consider the extinct population the [[nominate subspecies]], as ''[[Tuamotu sandpiper|Prosobonia cancellata]] cancellata'' or Kiritimati sandpiper, distinct from the surviving [[Tuamotu Islands]] population more than {{convert|2,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the southeast.
It may have been, but probably was not, limited to Kiritimati; while no remains have been found, little fieldwork has been conducted, and judging from the [[Tuamotu sandpiper]]'s habits, almost all [[Line Islands]] would have offered suitable [[habitat]].

The Kiritimati population of [[Tuamotu sandpiper|''P.&nbsp;cancellata'']] disappeared in the earlier part of the 19th century or so, almost certainly due to predation by introduced mammals. While ''[[Prosobonia]]'' generally manage to hold their own against [[Polynesian rat]]s, they are highly vulnerable to the [[black rat]] and [[feral cat]]s.<ref name=BLI/> Given the uncertainties surrounding the introduction date and maximum population of the former, the cats seem to be the main culprits in the Kiritimati sandpiper's extinction.

[[File:Buff-banded Rail Fafa Island.jpg|thumb|The [[buff-banded rail]] (''Gallirallus philippensis'') might once have had a similar-looking relative on Kiritimati.]]
Given that the island was apparently settled to some extent in prehistoric times, it may have already lost bird species then. The geological data indicates that Kiritimati is very old and was never completely underwater in the [[Holocene]] at least; thus it might have once harboured highly distinct wetland birds.

The limited overall [[habitat]] diversity on Kiritimati nonetheless limits the range of such hypothetical [[taxa]], as does [[biogeography]] due to its remote location. At least one, possibly several ''[[Gallirallus]]'' and / or ''[[Porzana]]'' [[rail (bird)|rail]]s make the most likely candidates, given their former presence in the region, and that conditions on Kiritimati would seem well suited. Perhaps a ''[[Todiramphus]]'' [[kingfisher]] was also present; such a bird would probably have belonged to the [[sacred kingfisher]] (''T.&nbsp;sanctus'') group, as that species today occurs as a vagrant in [[Micronesia]], and related forms are resident in southeastern [[Polynesia]]. These birds would have fallen victim to the [[Polynesian rat]]. In the case of the rails (which would have almost certainly been [[flightless birds|flightless]]) hunting by occasionally resident Polynesians, in addition to predation by the imported rats, likely contributed to their extinction.<ref name=Steadman/>

==See also==
* [[List of Guano Island claims]]
* [[Lists of islands]]
* [[Bay of Wrecks]]
* [[Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development]]

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|25em|refs=
<ref name = teebaki1993>
{{cite report
 |editor-last=Scott |editor-first=Derek A.
 |year=1993
 |chapter=Teeb'aki, Republic of Kiribati
 |title=A Directory of Wetlands in Oceania
 |pages=187–228
 |publisher=[i]&nbsp;[[International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau]]; [ii]&nbsp;Asian Wetland Bureau
 |place=[i]&nbsp;Slimbridge, UK; [ii]&nbsp;Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
 |chapter-url=http://archive.wetlands.org/Portals/0/publications/Report/WI_DIR-Oceania_1993.pdf
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830210238/http://archive.wetlands.org/Portals/0/publications/Report/WI_DIR-Oceania_1993.pdf
 |archive-date=30 August 2018
}}
</ref>

<ref name=streets1877>
{{cite journal
 |last=Streets |first=Thomas H.
 |year=1877
 |title=Some Account of the Natural History of the Fanning Group of Islands
 |journal=[[American Naturalist]]
 |volume=11  |issue=2  |pages= 65–72
 |jstor=2448050  |doi=10.1086/271824 |doi-access=free
|bibcode=1877ANat...11...65S
 }}
</ref>

<ref name=Penhallurick>
{{cite journal
 |last1=Penhallurick |first1=John
 |last2=Wink         |first2=Michael
 |year=2004
 |title= Analysis of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the Procellariformes based on complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome&nbsp;''b'' gene
 |journal=[[Emu (journal)|Emu]]
 |volume=104 |issue=2 |pages=125–147
 |doi=10.1071/MU01060
|bibcode=2004EmuAO.104..125P
 |s2cid=83202756
 }} – species name probably soon to be changed to ''Ardenna pacifica''.
</ref>

<ref name=MU2008>{{cite press release
 |publisher=[[Massey University]]
 |date=2008-01-15
 |title=DNA damage to nuclear test vets prompts call for study of children
 |place=New Zealand
 |url=http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-us/news/article.cfm?mnarticle=dna-damage-to-nuclear-test-vets-prompts-call-for-study-of-children-15-05-2007
 |access-date=25 March 2008
 |archive-date=9 January 2011
 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110109225639/http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-us/news/article.cfm?mnarticle=dna-damage-to-nuclear-test-vets-prompts-call-for-study-of-children-15-05-2007
 |url-status=bot: unknown
 }}</ref>

<ref name=Steadman>
{{cite book
 |author-link=David Steadman |last=Steadman |first=David William
 |year=2006
 |title=Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds
 |page=282
 |publisher=University of Chicago Press
 |isbn=0-226-77142-3
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Cook1784>
{{cite book
 |author-link=James Cook |last=Cook |first=James
 |orig-date=1784  |year=1785
 |edition=2nd 
 |chapter=Birds of Christmas Island
 |title=A voyage to the Pacific Ocean, ... performed under the direction of Captains Cook, Clerke, and Gore, in His Majesty's Ships the ''Resolution'' and the ''Discovery'', etc.
 |volume=2 |pages=188–189
 |location=London
 |chapter-url=http://www.kb.dk/elib/bhs/cook/
}} link is to JPEG of full text of 2nd edition (1785)
</ref>

<ref name=Townsend>
{{cite journal
 |last1=Townsend |first1=Charles Haskins
 |last2=Wetmore  |first2=Alexander
 |year=1919
 |title=Reports on the scientific results of the expedition to the tropical Pacific in charge of Alexander Agassiz, on the U.S. Fish Commission steamer ''Albatross'', from August&nbsp;1899 to March&nbsp;1900, Commander Jefferson F. Moser, U.S.N., commanding
 |journal=Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
 |volume=63  |pages=151–225
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Zusi>
{{cite journal
 |last1=Zusi  |first1=Richard L. 
 |last2=Jehl  |first2=Robert R. Jr.
 |year=1970
 |title=The systematic relationships of ''Aechmorhynchus'', ''Prosobonia'' and ''Phegornis'' (Charadriiformes; Charadrii)
 |journal=[[Auk (journal)|Auk]]
 |volume=87  |issue=4  |pages=760–780
 |doi=10.2307/4083710
 |jstor=4083710 
 |url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v087n04/p0760-p0780.pdf
 |access-date=2 March 2013  |url-status=live
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304214218/http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v087n04/p0760-p0780.pdf
 |archive-date=4 March 2016
}}
</ref>

<ref name=BLI>
{{cite web
 |publisher=[[BirdLife International]]
 |year=2007
 |title=Tuamotu Sandpiper
 |series=Species Factsheet
 |url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3032&m=0
 |access-date=24 February 2008
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929151203/http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3032&m=0
 |archive-date=29 September 2007
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Pastor-Santos-1950>
{{cite book
 |last=Pastor y Santos |first=Emilio
 |year=1950
 |title=Territorios de soberanía española en Oceanía
 |publisher=Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
 |department=Instituto de Estudios Africanos
 |location=Madrid, ES
 |language=es
 |oclc=912692168
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Tabiteuea-North-2008>
{{cite report
 |title=Tabiteuea North 2008 Socio-Economic Profile
 |orig-date=2008  |date=May 2013
 |chapter=Part&nbsp;2 of 4
 |page=48 (PDF p.&nbsp;13 of 15) 
 |department=Strengthening Decentralized Governance in Kiribati Project
 |publisher=Ministry of Internal and Social Affairs
 |place=Kiribati
 |chapter-url=http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tabiteuea-North-Social-and-Economic-Report-2008-2-of-4.pdf
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914214805/http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tabiteuea-North-Social-and-Economic-Report-2008-2-of-4.pdf
 |archive-date=14 September 2018
}}
<br />
{{cite report
 |title=Tabiteuea North 2008 Socio-Economic Profile
 |orig-date=2008  |date=May 2013
 |chapter=Part&nbsp;1 of 4
 |chapter-url=http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tabiteuea-North-Social-and-Economic-Report-2008-1-of-4.pdf
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914214803/http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Tabiteuea-North-Social-and-Economic-Report-2008-1-of-4.pdf
 |archive-date=14 September 2018
}}
</ref>
}}  <!-- end of "refs=" -->

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |title=The Christmas Island Story |first=Eric |last=Bailey |publisher=Stacey International |year=1977}}
* {{cite book |first=Paul |last=Boulagnon |year=2003 |title=Emmanuel Rougier: des Isles d'Auvergne à l'Océanie (Fidji, Tahiti, Christmas Island) }}
* {{cite book |last=Sheers |first=Owen |year=2008 |title=Bomb Gone |publisher=Granta 101}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |title=Kiritimati |date=2013-01-20 |series=Official government report on the island's infrastructure, ecology, and ongoing issues |website=climate.gov.ki |url=http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/20_KIRITIMATI-revised-2012.pdf |access-date=28 April 2015 |archive-date=14 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714074937/http://www.climate.gov.ki/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/20_KIRITIMATI-revised-2012.pdf  }}
* {{cite web |title=William Ellis' plate&nbsp;64 |publisher=Natural History Museum |department=Picture library |place=London |access-date=15 October 2012  |website=piclib.nhm.ac.uk |url=http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/results.asp?image=006164 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232828/http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/results.asp?image=006164 |archive-date=2013-12-02 |quote=The only Kiritimati Sandpiper specimen ever studied by scientists.}}
* {{cite web |title=Photos of British nuclear tests off Christmas Island |website=lorry.org/cassandra |url=http://www.lorry.org/cassandra/Pictures/BigBang/}}
* {{cite web |title=Various pictures of Kiritimati |series=Christmas Island :: Kiritimati |website=pbase.com/keithcollicoat |url=https://pbase.com/keithcollicoat/christmas_island_kiritimati}}
* {{cite web |title=Kiribati National Tourism Office |url=http://www.kiribatitourism.gov.ki}}

{{Kiribati geography}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Kiritimati| ]]
[[Category:Atolls of Kiribati]]
[[Category:Gilbert and Ellice Islands]]
[[Category:American nuclear test sites]]
[[Category:British nuclear test sites]]
[[Category:Pacific islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act]]
[[Category:Former disputed islands]]