South Tarawa

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South Tarawa (in Gilbertese and English: Teinainano Urban Council or ABR. TUC) is the official capital of the Republic of Kiribati on Tarawa Atoll. The meaning of Teinainano is "down of the mast", alluding to the sail-shape of the atoll.

The South Tarawa population center consists of all the small islets between Bairiki (on the west) to Temaiku/Bonriki on the east. All of several once separate islets are joined by causeways, forming one long islet on the reef along the southern side of the Tarawa Lagoon. There is also a relatively new causeway—the Japanese Causeway—that links South Tarawa to Betio, out of South Tarawa. South Tarawa is located at 1°19' North, 172°58' East (1.31667, 172.9667). [1]

There is a Kiribati Teacher College and a University of the South Pacific campus on South Tarawa. Bairiki is sometimes considered the capital of Kiribati because at one time both the Parliament and the Presidency (and main administrative offices) were located there. The Parliament meets on Ambo islet; various ministries are scattered between South Tarawa, Betio and Christmas Island (ministry of the Line and Phoenix islands).

The Roman Catholic diocese and the Kiribati Protestant Church (Congregational) are situated on South Tarawa.

Bairiki (executive), Ambo (legislative), Betio (judicial) are the main political centres of the capital.

[edit] Bairiki

Bairiki is a village and an islet now part of South Tarawa, and at one time itself the center of government (and therefore, capital) of Kiribati. One of three post offices on Tarawa is located at Bairiki. Bairiki Islet is the most southern islet on the atoll of Tarawa. About nine islets (of some 23 others on Tarawa) are larger than Bairiki.

Bairiki includes the main administrative center of the Republic of Kiribati (presidency and most of the ministries), but the Parliament has since moved to Ambo, halfway between Bairiki and Bonriki. In the village there is a small port (the main port for Tarawa is on Betio Islet) and near Bairiki is a campus belonging to the University of the South Pacific.