Which Oceanian country includes Banaba, also called Ocean Island? The answer is Kiribati.
Banaba is a raised-coral island in the central Pacific and the westernmost point of Kiribati. Unlike most of Kiribati’s low-lying atolls, Banaba rises to about 81 metres, making it the country’s highest island. It lies roughly 185 miles east of Nauru, its nearest neighbour.
The island was known in English as Ocean Island, while Banaba is connected to the Gilbertese word for “hollow land.” Rich phosphate deposits made it economically important during British colonial rule. Extensive mining damaged much of the island and led to the relocation of many Banabans to Rabi Island in Fiji after World War II.
Banaba became part of the independent Republic of Kiribati when the country gained independence on 12 July 1979. A common mix-up is confusing Banaba with Nauru: the two are geographically close and both are phosphate-rich raised coral islands, but Banaba belongs to Kiribati.