Banaba

Banaba, also known as Ocean Island, is a small raised coral atoll in Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean. The atoll is roughly 6 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide and surrounds a shallow central lagoon. Its landscape is heavily altered from its natural state by historical phosphate mining, leaving large pits and barren areas where soil and vegetation were stripped away.

History and people

Banaba has been inhabited by the Banaban people for centuries. In the early 20th century, extensive phosphate deposits were exploited by foreign interests, beginning around 1900, under the Nobel Phosphate Company. Phosphate ore was shipped to markets abroad, and mining expanded rapidly through the first half of the century. The process removed much of the island’s topsoil and degraded farmland, transforming the environment and local livelihoods.

Displacement and aftermath

Beginning in the mid-1940s, most Banabans were relocated to Rabi Island in Fiji, where they established a new community. A smaller number remained on Banaba. The relocation spurred longstanding disputes over compensation, land rights, and revenue from phosphate royalties. After Kiribati gained independence in 1979, the Banaban community continued to seek recognition and redress for the environmental and social impacts of mining.

Current status

Today Banaba is sparsely inhabited, with the majority of Banaban people living on Rabi Island and maintaining strong cultural ties to their homeland. The island’s economy is minimal, and its landscape remains a stark reminder of the phosphate era. Banaba continues to be governed as part of Kiribati, with ongoing efforts to preserve Banaban heritage and address historical grievances.

See also: Ocean Island, Banaba people, Phosphate mining in Kiribati.