Kiribati

	The Republic of Kiribati is an island nation consisting of some 33 atolls near the equator in the central Pacific. Before Europeans found the islands, they had been inhabited for two millennia by indigenous Micronesians. In 1820, the British named the islands the Gilbert Islands,.... ....read more
	An island of even greater maturity than those making up the Groupe Acteon is Malden Atoll (Kiribati), situated near the southern end of the Line Islands. Malden sits astride the South Equatorial Current of the Pacific Ocean, on the northern edge of the southeast trade winds. ....read more
	Geologically, the oldest atoll in the world's oceans is Kiritimati (Christmas Island), lying just north of the equator in the Line Islands. Aboard the Discovery, the astronauts had one of the best views ever of Christmas Island, the old atoll more often than not being covered with towering cumulus clouds. ....read more