Tamana (also Rotcher Island) is the smallest island in the
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands (;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this name applied o ...
. It is accessible both by boat and by air with
Air Kiribati
Air Kiribati (pronounced ) is the flag carrier of the Republic of Kiribati and operates scheduled passenger services to 20 atolls spread over an area of .
It is headquartered at Bonriki International Airport on the island of Tarawa in the ...
and
Coral Sun Airways (once a week;
Tamana Airport code: TMN). 1,054 people live in Tamana (2020 census).
Tamana is the second southernmost island in the Gilbert group and the smallest inhabited island in Kiribati. The island is approximately in length, at its widest point, and has a total land area of .
Tamana is a
reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...
island with no lagoon.
The Island Council is located at Bakaakaa, the central village of the island and this is also where the rest of the Government facilities are located such as the CB radio for inter-island communication, the hardware store, and the fuel depot. The schools (Primary and JSS) and the Medical facilities are also located in the same village.
Myths and legends
The name Tamana is understood to mean ‘his/her father’; although in some myths it is understood to mean ‘a stronghold or strong place, or original settlement’.
History
In 1606, Spanish explorers became the first Europeans to discover the island.
Tamana in September 1942 was the southernmost island touched by the
Japanese occupation of the Gilbert Islands but Japanese troops did not occupy the atoll.
Tamana Post Office opened around 1915.
Notes
References
Exhibit: The Alfred Agate Collection: The United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842from the Navy Art Gallery
Gilbert Islands
Islands of Kiribati
Coral islands
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