Birnie Island
Kiribati · Oceania
About
Birnie Island is a small, uninhabited coral island, 20 hectares (49 acres) in area, part of the Phoenix Island group, that is part of the Republic of Kiribati. It is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi; 54 nmi) southeast of Kanton Island and 90 kilometres (56 mi; 49 nmi) west-northwest of Rawaki Island, formerly known as Phoenix Island. It lies at 03°35′S 171°33′W. Birnie Island measures only 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) long and 0.5 kilometres (0.3 mi) wide. There is no anchorage, but landing can be made on the lee shore.
The island is designated as the Birnie Island Wildlife Sanctuary. Kiribati declared the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in 2006, with the park being expanded in 2008. The 164,200-square-mile (425,300-square-kilometer) marine reserve contains eight coral atolls including Birnie Island.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.