The Gilbert Islands (Gilbertese: Tungaru; formerly Kingsmill Islands) are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati ("Kiribati" is the Gilbertese rendition of "Gilberts" ) and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.
Read more about Gilbert Islands: Geography
Famous quotes containing the words gilbert and/or islands:
“When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte,
As every child can tell,
The House of Peers, throughout the war,
Did nothing in particular,
And did it very well:”
—Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)
“Consider the islands bearing the names of all the saints, bristling with forts like chestnut-burs, or Echinidæ, yet the police will not let a couple of Irishmen have a private sparring- match on one of them, as it is a government monopoly; all the great seaports are in a boxing attitude, and you must sail prudently between two tiers of stony knuckles before you come to feel the warmth of their breasts.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)