Kiribati has Tarawa as an atoll and former World War II battle site. Tarawa lies in the Gilbert Islands group and includes Betio, the small islet where the major fighting occurred.
The Battle of Tarawa took place from 20 to 23 November 1943, when U.S. forces attacked Japanese positions during Operation Galvanic. Betio was heavily fortified because its airfield made the atoll strategically valuable. Shallow reefs, strong defenses and difficult tides contributed to an exceptionally costly amphibious assault.
Tarawa is now part of the Republic of Kiribati, which became independent in 1979. The name is related to Te Rawa, commonly translated as “the passage,” referring to a significant opening into the lagoon. A common mix-up is treating Tarawa as a country; it is an atoll and the name of an urban area, while Kiribati is the sovereign state.