Marakei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Map of Marakei | |
 | |
  Marakei  Marakei  Marakei  Marakei | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 2°00′N 173°16′E / 2.000°N 173.267°E |
| Archipelago | Gilbert Islands |
| Area | 14.13 km2 (5.46 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 2,799 (2015 Census) |
| Pop. density | 203/km2 (526/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | I-Kiribati 98.4% |
Marakei is a small atoll in the North Gilbert Islands. It consists of a central lagoon with numerous deep basins, surrounded by two large islands separated by two narrow channels. The atoll covers approximately 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi).
Environmental issues
Marakei's total land area is 14.13 square kilometres (5.46 sq mi). A 26-kilometre (16 mi.) road circles the island. Its length, from the airport, across the lagoon to Teraereke at the island's southern portion, is 9.93 kilometres (6.17 mi). Its greatest width is at the village of Rawannawi, and narrowest width at Temotu on the island's western side. It is one of only two islands in Kiribati that encircles its lagoon. The Marakei lagoon contains salt water and is deep in some areas, but not tidal. Two narrow channels, Baretoa Pass and Raweta Pass, link the lagoon with the sea and are not navigable at low tide.[1]
Rawata Pass was the location of an obstruction in 1912 after an inter-village conflict.
The construction of causeways caused a significant reduction in the flushing of the lagoon, reducing the water's oxygen levels so that fish are no longer found in it.[2] Erosion and accretion along the shoreline has been linked to aggregate mining, and land reclamation and causeway construction are believed to have changed the currents along the shoreline.[2]
Villages
The main village is Rawannawi, which was home to just over a third of the island's 2,872 people at the 2010 census.[3]
| Rawannawi | 1000 inhabitants |
| Temotu | 164 inhabitants |
| Buota | 339 inhabitants |
| Tekarakan | 358 inhabitants |
| Bwainuna | 310 inhabitants |
| Norauea | 321 inhabitants |
| Tekuanga | 217 inhabitants |
| Antai | 163 inhabitants |
Myths and legends
Various stories are told about the creation of Marakei and the other islands in the Southern Gilberts. An important legend in the culture of Marakei is that spirits who lived in a tree in Samoa migrated northward, carrying branches from the tree, Te Kaintikuaba ("the Tree of Life"),[2] and that it was these spirits, together with Nareau the Wise, who created the islands of Tungaru (the Gilbert Islands).[Note 1]
History
The Marakei post office opened around 1912.[6]
