South Tarawa is the capital of which island country?

South Tarawa is the capital of the island country of Kiribati.

South Tarawa lies on the southern part of Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. It is not one single compact island: the population centre stretches across a chain of narrow islets linked by causeways and roads, from Betio in the west to Bonriki and Tanaea in the northeast. Government offices and major services are spread across places including Bairiki, Ambo and Bikenibeu.

Kiribati selected Tarawa as the seat of colonial government in 1895, when the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were administered as a British protectorate. The atoll later became famous for the Battle of Tarawa in 1943, a major World War II conflict. Today, South Tarawa is also Kiribati’s commercial and educational hub.

A common mix-up is confusing South Tarawa with Bairiki. Bairiki is an islet and an important government district within the capital area, while South Tarawa is the broader urban settlement and administrative centre.