The atoll containing most of Kiribati’s capital, South Tarawa, is Tarawa.
Tarawa is an atoll in the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati, and South Tarawa occupies its southern, more densely populated section. The capital is spread across a chain of islets linked by causeways, with Betio, Bairiki, and Bikenibeu among the best-known communities. North Tarawa forms the less urbanized part of the same atoll.
Tarawa’s geography helps explain why the capital is described as South Tarawa rather than simply Tarawa. Tarawa is the larger natural atoll, while South Tarawa is the urban administrative area established across its southern islets. The atoll’s narrow landforms sit only slightly above sea level, making overcrowding, freshwater supply, coastal erosion, and flooding persistent concerns.
Tarawa is also remembered for the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, a major United States Marine Corps assault against Japanese forces during World War II. The name is sometimes confused with Betio, the heavily populated islet at the southern end, but Betio is only one part of South Tarawa.