North Tarawa
Map of North Tarawa
|
|
 |
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 1°26′N 173°00′E / 1.433°N 173.000°E |
| Archipelago | Gilbert Islands |
| Area | 15.26 km2 (5.89 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 6,102 (2010 Census) |
| Pop. density | 400 /km2 (1,000 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | I-Kiribati 99.7% |
North Tarawa or Tarawa Ieta, in the Republic of Kiribati, is the string of islets from Buariki at the northern tip of Tarawa atoll to Buota in the South, with a combined population of 6,102 as of 2010[update]. It is administratively separate from neighbouring South Tarawa, and is governed by the Eutan Tarawa Council (ETC), based at Abaokoro village.
North Tarawa has a land area of 15.26 km2. It is made up of several islets; the widest part of North Tarawa can be found in the village of Buariki and the narrowest width in the village of Tearinibai, next to Buariki.
Buota was joined by a bridge to South Tarawa in 1995 and has since increased in population and is becoming more like part of urban South Tarawa. Abatao is not accessible by road, but the channel can be easily walked at low tide and there is a boat service at high tide. For people in Abatao and Buota, it is much easier to access schools, clinics and other services on South Tarawa than to travel to the Government Station in Abaokoro. Apart from the bridge from Buota to Tanaea, small causeways connect the villages of Tebwangoroi and Taratai, Tebwangoroi and Nuatabu. The erosion and accretion that are occurring along the shoreline is identified as being linked to aggregate mining, land reclamation and the construction of causeways that has been thought to change the currents along the shoreline.
The atoll has a protected area that is designated as the North Tawara Conservation Area.
Abaokoro accommodates the main service infrastructures such as the offices of Eutan Tarawa Council, the junior secondary school and the main medical centre. With the rapid growth of population in South Tarawa, people are choosing to settle in North Tarawa in greater numbers, especially in Abatao and Buota, the two villages closest to South Tarawa.
There are 14 villages in North Tarawa. From North to South, the villages and their populations are:
In North Tarawa, the subsistence lifestyle practiced throughout the Gilbert Islands coexists with a more market economy based on trade with neighboring South Tarawa. Only 16% of the workforce are in paid employment, but a further 17% earn cash from market oriented activities. There is a strong trade in local food, building materials and other items from North Tarawa, which are sold for cash in markets and on the streets of South Tarawa.
...
Wikipedia