Banaba Island
A raised phosphate island, mined out and largely depopulated.
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Banaba lies far west of the Gilberts, a raised limestone island rather than an atoll, and it was mined for phosphate from 1900 until 1979 on a scale that stripped most of the surface to bare pinnacles of rock. Its people were resettled to Rabi in Fiji in 1945 and only a few hundred live there now. The mined ground, the ruined works and the pinnacles are what remains.
What you actually see
- The mined surface - bare limestone pinnacles left where the soil was taken.
- The ruined works - the remains of the phosphate operation.
- The raised island - limestone lifted clear of the sea rather than an atoll.
- The small population - a few hundred people on a largely emptied island.
When to go
April to October is the calmer season. Ships call very rarely and unpredictably. Permission is required.
Honest expectations
Access is by very irregular ship and requires permission; almost nobody goes. There is essentially no infrastructure. The island's history is a difficult one and visitors should approach it with that in mind.
Nearby
Nauru is west, and Tarawa is east.
What to pack for Banaba Island
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.