Abaiang

About

Abaiang, also known as Apaiang, Apia, and in the past, Charlotte Island, in the Northern Gilbert Islands, is a coral atoll of Kiribati, located in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Abaiang was the island of the first missionary to arrive in the Gilberts, Hiram Bingham II. Abaiang has a population of 5,872 (2020 census).

Abaiang Atoll is in the northern Gilberts, located not very far to the north of Tarawa. Abaiang is the fourth most northerly in the Gilberts chain of atolls, with a total land area of 4,102.8 acres (16.603 km2). The atoll has a lagoon 16 by 5 miles (25.7 by 8.0 km) that provides sheltered anchorage. The main island of Abaiang, Teiro (not to be confused with the small islet of Teirio) has a total land area of 3,552.6 acres (14.377 km2) extends from the northern village of Takarano to the southern village of Tabontebike. It occupies the complete eastern rim and also encircles the southern part of the atoll, stretching over a distance of some 23 miles (37 km) Its width ranges from no more than 90 metres (300 feet) to more than 1,000 metres (3,300 feet), averaging 390 metres (1,280 feet). It contains 16 of the 18 villages of the atoll. Two other islets, Riboono 219.3 acres (0.887 km2) and Nuotaea 330.9 acres (1.339 km2) are also inhabited. The remaining islets of Abaiang but Taete, with a land area of 215.5 acres (0.872 km2) are mainly uninhabited, with lack of water and remoteness from the mainland being the main issues. They however are used for fishing, copra cutting and campsites. The islets of Ouba and Teirio have had small motels built on them, with staff travelling from the mainland of Abaiang and from Tarawa when guests are expected. In the southwest of Abaiang there is a channel, the Bingham Channel, which is the basic conjunction between the lagoon and the Pacific. The channel is between the biggest island of Abaiang (in the east) and a very little island in the southwest of Abaiang called Teirio.

Global warming has created a problem for Abaiang and Kiribati, among other island groups. Houses in Tebunginako village have been abandoned. As storm surges becoming more frequent and spring tides more forceful, eventually the erosion was so great that the village had to be abandoned. The remains of about 100 thatched homes and a maneabe (community meeting hall) are now up to 30 metres (98 feet) offshore. The villagers relocated themselves further inland, with the new village retaining the same name.

In the 2010 Census the total population of 5,502 was spread among 18 villages, with the largest villages being Nuotaea (559 inhabitants) and Tuarabu (560 inhabitants).

Relative to other islands of Kiribati, Abaiang has some important economic advantages. Its large lagoon supports a striking diversity of coral and fish species, providing plentiful seafood to the local population and attracting tourists to the island from nearby South Tarawa. While the island is prone to drought, in normal years the rainfall is sufficient to support breadfruit, banana and papaya as well as the ubiquitous coconut. The closeness of Abaiang to Tarawa also facilitates a significant, though largely informal, trade in local food of all types. However like all outer islands of Kiribati, Abaiang is basically a subsistence economy, with a small number of jobs, mainly working for the Government or Island Council. Other sources of income are copra production, and remittances from relatives working in South Tarawa, as crew on international vessels, or overseas. Climate change has forced a change, as milkfish are not as common and plant life is dying off to the increased salt in the water table.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.