Kiritimati (sometimes referred to as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands It is part of the Republic of Kiribati The name is derived from the English word “Christmas” written in Gilbertese according to its phonology, in which the combination ti is pronounced s, giving [kiˈrɪsmæs]Kiritimati (sometimes referred to as Christmas Island) is a Pacific Ocean atoll in the northern Line Islands It is part of the Republic of Kiribati The name is derived from the English word “Christmas” written in Gilbertese according to its phonology, in which the combination ti is pronounced s, giving [kiˈrɪsmæs]
Why is it named Christmas Island?
But it wasn’t until 1643 that Captain William Mynors of the British East India Company named the island after sighting it on Christmas Day The first known landing came in 1688, when the English ship Cygnet landed near the Dales on the island’s west coast
What did Kiribati used to be called?
Kiribati and Tuvalu were formerly joined as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony The name Kiribati is the local rendition of Gilberts in the Gilbertese, or I-Kiribati, language, which has 13 sounds; ti is pronounced /s/ or like the word see—thus Kiribati, pronounced “Ki-ri-bas”
How do you pronounce Kiritimati?
The name “Kiritimati” is a rather straightforward respelling of the English word “Christmas” in the Kiribati language, in which the combination ti is pronounced s, and the name is thus pronounced /kəˈrɪsməs/
What is Kiritimati known for?
Nowadays Kiritimati is known for bonefishing and scuba diving and for being the world’s largest coral atoll, but it earned earlier fame as the site of nuclear testing by the British and United States in the 1950s and 60s Kiritimati is also the first inhabited place to celebrate the New Year each year
Who owns Xmas Island?
Australia and New Zealand buy the Christmas Island Phosphate company and Christmas Island is administered by the Colony of Singapore Sovereignty is transferred by the United Kingdom to Australia and Christmas Island becomes an Australian Territory
Who owns Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean?
Christmas Island, officially Territory of Christmas Island, island in the Indian Ocean, about 224 miles (360 km) south of the island of Java and 870 miles (1,400 km) northwest of Australia, that is administered as an external territory of Australia
What was Vanuatu previously called?
Formerly the jointly administered Anglo-French condominium of the New Hebrides, Vanuatu achieved independence in 1980 The name Vanuatu means “Our Land Forever” in many of the locally used Melanesian languages
Is Kiribati in Micronesia or Polynesia?
Kiribati (pronounced Kiribas) is an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, located in the central Pacific Ocean, about 4,000 km (about 2,500 mi) southwest of Hawaii It is part of the division of the Pacific islands that is known as Micronesia
How many islands make up Kiribati?
Kiribati is an island country in the central Pacific Ocean, made up of 33 islands Only 20 of these are inhabited Although the land area is small, the islands are scattered widely Most of the islands are very low-lying atolls (ring-shaped coral reefs)
Where is the Kiritimati island?
Kiritimati Atoll, also called Christmas Atoll, coral island in the Northern Line Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean It is the largest island of purely coral formation in the world, having a circumference of about 100 miles (160 km)
How big is Kiritimati?
150 mi²
When did France stop nuclear testing in the Pacific?
France conducted 193 nuclear tests from 1966 to 1996 at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in French Polynesia, including 41 atmospheric tests until 1974 that exposed the local population, site workers and French soldiers to high levels of radiation
Did the Japanese invade Christmas Island?
One British officer and four British enlisted men were killed in a mutiny on 10 March 1942 The Battle of Christmas Island was a small engagement which began on 31 March 1942, during World War IIBattle of Christmas Island Date 31 March − 1 April 1942 Result Japanese victory Territorial changes Christmas Island occupied by Japanese forces
Is Sonic from Christmas Island?
Sonic was born on a small island called Christmas Island But his love for adventure called him away and he has visited so many different places on Earth that he doesn’t really have a place he considers to be home Christmas Island (クリスマス島, Kurisumasu tō) is the place where Sonic the Hedgehog was born
How did Singapore own Christmas Island?
Control of Christmas Island was administered from Singapore (part of the Straits Settlements) on behalf of the British government After the war, the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a Crown Colony and continued administering over Christmas Island on behalf of the British
Are Christmas Islanders Australian citizens?
Federal politics Christmas Island residents who are Australian citizens vote in Australian federal elections
Can you eat Christmas Island crabs?
They aren’t edible Even if you can’t eat them, it’s definitely worth dropping by Christmas Island in December or January to watch a blanket of Red crabs migrate to the ocean and back – just be sure to wear boots
What does the flag of Christmas Island look like?
The flag of Christmas Island consists of a green and blue background, split the top left corner to the bottom right These colours are intended to represent the land and sea respectively The last motif appears in the centre of the flag on a golden disc is the map of the island in green
Who discovered Vanuatu in 1768?
European contact began with the Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós (1606), followed by the French navigator Louis-Antoine de Bougainville (1768) and the British captain James Cook (1774) Cook mapped the island group and named it the New Hebrides
What is the nationality of Vanuatu?
Ethnic groups: 94% ni-Vanuatu; 4% European; 2% other Pacific Islanders, Asian Religion: Predominantly Christian (84%) Languages: Bislama (Pidgin), English (official), French (official), over 100 tribal languages
Who were the first inhabitants of Vanuatu?
The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 540 kilometres (340 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, east of New Guinea, southeast of the Solomon Islands, and west of Fiji Vanuatu was first inhabited by Melanesian people
Where is Nauru?
The Republic of Nauru comprises a small oval-shaped island in the western Pacific Ocean, Nauru lies 42km (26 miles) south of the equator Its nearest neighbour is Ocean Island (Banaba, part of Kiribati), 305km (190 miles) to the East It is 4,000km (2,485 miles) from Sydney
What is the only country in all four hemispheres?
Once combined, the 33 stunning, paradisiac islands and atolls make Kiribati the only country in the world to cross all four hemispheres
What language is spoken in Kiribati?
Kiribati/Official languages