Kiritimati: Christmas Island, Kiribati (with Map & Photos)

Christmas Island or Kiritimati is an atoll in the Line Archipelago belonging to Kiribati. It is located 285 km from Tabuaeran Island, 2500 km from Honolulu, 2700 km from Tahiti. The land area is 388 km². Christmas Island has one of the highest concentrations of seabirds in the world.

Christmas Island
Christmas Island

There are five restricted areas on the atoll. During World War II, Kiritimati was occupied by the Allied forces and an airstrip was built. In 1956-1958, 50 km from Christmas Island, Great Britain conducted nuclear weapons tests. Many structures were destroyed, but the infrastructure that remained made it possible to turn Kiritimati into the administrative center of the Line Islands.

Christmas Island Map