Line Islands

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The Line Islands are a group of eleven atolls and low coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean south of the Hawaiian Islands, eight of which belong to Kiribati, while three are United States territories that are grouped with the United States Minor Outlying Islands. The Line Islands that are part of the Republic of Kiribati are in a time zone with the earliest time in the world: UTC + 14. The time of day is the same as in Hawaiʻi, but one day ahead; and even 25 hours ahead of some other islands in Oceania. All the islands in this group are or were claimed by the United States.

The group is geographically divided in three subgroups, Northern, Central, and Southern Line Islands. The Central Line Islands are sometimes grouped with the Southern Line Islands. The table is listing the islands from north to south.

Atoll/Island/Reef Island Area
km²		 Lagoon
km²		 Coordinates Status

Northern Line Islands
Kingman Reef 0.03 60 6°24′N 162°24′W U.S. unincorporated territory
Palmyra Atoll 6.56 15 5°52′N 162°6′W U.S. incorporated territory
Teraina (Washington Island) 14.2 2* 4°43′N 160°24′W Kiribati Island Council
Tabuaeran (Fanning Island) 33.7 110 3°52′N 159°22′W Kiribati Island Council
Kiritimati (Christmas Island) 388.5 324 1°53′N 157°24′W Kiribati Island Council

Central Line Islands
Jarvis Island 4.45 - 0°22′S 160°03′W U.S. unincorporated territory
Malden Island 39.3 13* 4°01′S 154°59′W part of Kiribati
Filippo Reef - 1.5 5°30′S 151°50′W outside EEZ
Starbuck Island 21 25 5°37′S 155°56′W part of Kiribati

Southern Line Islands
Caroline Island 3.76 2.5 9°57′S 150°13′W part of Kiribati
Vostok Island 0.24 - 10°06′S 152°25′W part of Kiribati
Flint Island 3 - 11°26′S 151°48′W part of Kiribati
Line Islands 514,74 538

* The lagoon areas marked with an asterisk are contained within the island areas of the previous column because they are, unlike in the case of a typical atoll, inland waters completely sealed off from the sea.

Only three islands are inhabited, with a total population of 8,809 (census of 2005), of which 5,115 are on Kiritimati, 2,539 on Tabuaeran, and 1,155 on Teraina. The total population of these three atolls in 1900 was about 300.

Kiritimati is the largest atoll in the world in terms of land area. The islands were annexed by Britain in 1888 with a view to laying the Pacific cable with Tabuaeran (then Fanning Island) as a relay station. That cable functioned between 1902 and 1963 except for a short period in 1914.

Copra and "Petfish" are the main export products (with seaweed).

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