Banaba

Banaba or island Océan (sometimes spelled Panapa, because of the pronunciation in Gilbertin) is the only high island of the Kiribati (81 m at the culminating point), slightly with the variation of the principal archipelago of the islands Gilbert. Its Phosphate was exploited a long time by the British colonizers until the layers are exhausted in 1979. The majority of its inhabitants, Banabans, were relocated on the island Fiji enne of Rabi in the immediate future post-war period.

Geography

The island is a Makatea i.e. a coral formation based on a volcano underwater and raised by movement tectonics the ground of its central plate is composed of coral pitons between which were located rich person layers of exhausted Phosphate from now on, interior of the island east thus from now on only consisted of points limestones giving to the place a tormented topography. The island is girdled of a coral barrier making its access difficult.

History

The extraction of phosphate began in 1901 after Albert Fuller Ellis, Australian working for the Pacific Island Company, had discovered in 1900 that the basement of the island was composed of rich person layers of phosphate. Elect last negotiated then with a local leader not having in addition authority relating to the land and buildings of other Banabans a 999 years concession in exchange of 50 pounds sterling per annum. The island then was annexed by the United Kingdom and was integrated into the archipelago of the Gilbert islands.

Pacific Island Company, renamed Pacific Phosphates Company, made come on the island from many foreign workers in particular from the Chinese to conclude the extraction and made build a railway line to Narrow gauge railway and a Funiculaire to forward the ore from the interior of the country to the coast where structures in cantilever had been installation in order to charge phosphate on Phosphatier s.

The second world war

In 1940, at the beginning of the Second world war, the island was bombarded by German boats camouflaged in the Japanese trading vessels which attacked also the phosphate miners supplying itself on the island.

A few hours after the Attaque on Pearl Harbor of December 7th, 1941 the Japanese bombarded the island with an aim of destroying the radio station. In preparation for the Japanese occupation the British made evacuate in February 1942 the British personnel of the BPC by the means of the Triumphing , a French boat coming from the New Hebrides, and destroyed as a preliminary the structures of exploitation of phosphate. The Japanese reflect foot on the island following a naval and air combined operation on August 26th, 1942.

The rendering of the Japanese of Banaba of August 20th, 1945 did not put fine at the massacres since those made carry out, after their capitulation, the totality of the remaining inhabitants. Only Gilbertin, Kabunare, managed by trick to escape the massacre and it is by him that the exactions made by the Japanese army on the island are known.

The resumption of the exploitation of phosphate

After the war the BPC took again the exploitation of the phosphate layers. The wish to increase to the maximum the production resulted in shaving the village of Buakonikai, then to relocate the inhabitants on the island of Rabi in the archipelago of the Fiji. The erosion of the grounds due to the intensive exploitation of phosphate reduced moreover the livable surface of the island.

In 1979, the operations of extraction were completed, following exhaustion quasi-total of the layers.

The longest suit at law of the British history opposed the natives of Banaba, wishing the compensation for the survivors, with the British Crown.

Banaba today

The island is part from now on of the republic of the Kiribati. If part of the inhabitants is turned over on the island, of many Banabans live today on Rabi, distant from: 2000 km.

Policy

In addition to the deputy normally elected in the electoral constituency of Banaba, the inhabitants of Banaba are represented with the Maneaba nor Maungatabu by another designated representative and not elected who represents the deportees with Rabi there.

External bonds

Internet site banaban with, inter alia, of historical information and on the current location and of the photographs.
Site presenting of much historical information on Banaba

References

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