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:
“Things are seldom what they seem,
Skim milk masquerades as cream.”
—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)