This map is one of three to cover the Tarawa Atoll, the main centre of population in Kiribati.

The map was published in 1981 by the Directorate of Overseas Surveys in the United Kingdom. It is based on colour enhanced aerial photography, which in areas of low relief can be fitted together with minimal distortion. Unfortunately for Tarawa, the highest spot height shown is just 4 meters above mean sea level.

Scientific consensus is that if left unprotected for the next 25 years, the atoll will be swept by storm surges, and the water supply will become saline.

All of Kiribati’s islands, with the exception of Banaba, have maps in TROPICARTA (requires Chomikuj account).