Tabiteuea

Tabiteuea

Satellite photograph of Tabiteuea (NE top)
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	Coordinates: 1°21′S 174°48′E / 1.350°S 174.800°E / -1.350; 174.800
Archipelago	Gilbert Islands
Area	40.33 km2 (15.57 sq mi)
Highest elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Administration
Kiribati
Demographics
Population	4,993 (2010 Census)
Pop. density	123.8 /km2 (320.6 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	I-Kiribati 99.7%
Additional information
Tabiteuea Capital Utiroa Former seat Buariki

Tabiteuea, formerly Drummond's Island, is an atoll in the Gilbert Islands, Kiribati, farther south of the Tarawa Atoll. The atoll consists of two main islands: Eanikai in the north, Nuguti in the south, and several smaller islets in between along the eastern rim of the atoll. The atoll has a total land area of 38 km² (15 sq mi), while the lagoon measures 365 km² (141 sq mi). The population numbered 4,899 in 2005.

While most atolls of the Gilbert Islands correspond to local government areas governed by island councils, Tabiteuea, like the main atoll Tarawa, is divided into two:

"Tabiteuea" is Gilbertese for "land of no chiefs"; the island is traditionally egalitarian. In the late 1800s, the two islands were the site of a religious war when the populace of Tabiteuea North converted to Christianity and, led by a man called Kapu who had assembled a "hymn-singing army on a crusade", invaded and conquered Tabiteuea South, which had maintained traditional religious practice.

The Battle of Drummond's Island occurred during the United States Exploring Expedition in April 1841 at Tabiteuea, then known as Drummond's Island. After one sailor from sloop USS Peacock, was captured by the islanders, the US party decided on exacting redress for the incident. Twelve islanders were killed in the fighting and others were wounded.

During the US Civil War, the Confederate States Navy steamer CSS Shenandoah visited the island on March 23, 1865 in search of United States whalers, but the whalers had fled the area. Captain James Waddell described the islanders as "of copper colour, short of statue, athletic in form, intelligent and docile" and were "without a stitch of clothing".