Knowra Phoenix Islands Phoenix Islands The Phoenix Islands are a remote group of coral islands and atolls in the central Pacific, part of Kiribati. Most are uninhabited and lie within one of the world’s largest marine protected areas.
Kanton Island : The largest and only permanently inhabited island in the Phoenix Islands group. Its settlement and airstrip make it the group’s main human foothold.
Phoenix Islands Protected Area : A large marine protected area surrounding the Phoenix Islands in Kiribati. It sets the rules for fishing and other activities across much of the surrounding ocean.
Atoll : A ring-shaped coral reef, island, or chain of islets enclosing a lagoon. Most Phoenix Islands are atolls formed around lagoons.
Gilbert and Ellice Islands : A former British colony in the central Pacific, divided into Kiribati and Tuvalu in 1978–1979. The Phoenix Islands were administered within this colonial territory before Kiribati’s independence.
Biodiversity : The variety of life across genes, species, and ecosystems. The group’s isolation supports distinctive marine and island wildlife.
Enderbury Island : A small, uninhabited coral island in the Phoenix Islands of Kiribati. Its seabird colonies illustrate the wildlife protected across the group.
World Heritage Site : A place recognized by UNESCO for outstanding cultural or natural value. UNESCO listed the Phoenix Islands Protected Area for its marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
Coral reef : A marine ecosystem built primarily by reef-forming corals and their calcium-carbonate structures. Reef growth creates the islands’ narrow, low-lying landforms.
Kiribati : An island country in the central Pacific made up of the Gilbert, Phoenix, and Line Islands. The Phoenix Islands are one of Kiribati’s three island groups.
Invasive species : Non-native organisms that spread and cause ecological, economic, or health harm. Introduced animals can disrupt seabird colonies and native island ecosystems.
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