Christmas Island, Kiribati

Christmas Island (officially called Kiritimati), is the largest coral atoll in the world with an area of 248 square miles of which 125 square miles is land and the remainder lagoon. It is 2,015 miles from Tarawa, capital of the Republic of Kiribati; 1,335 miles from Honolulu; 4,000 miles from Sydney, Australia and 3,250 miles from San Francisco. It lies between longitude 157 degrees 10' west and 157 degrees 34' west and latitudes 1 degree 42' north and 2 degrees 3' north. It is 145 miles north of the equator.

The entire island is a Wildlife Sanctuary; the flora and the fauna are unique, but the island is affected by regular, severe droughts. Most of the atoll's food supplies have to be imported, although marine fish are plentiful. Exports of the atoll include aquarium fish, coconuts, and seaweed. Additionally, there is a small amount of tourism.

Things to See and Do

* Fly fishing
* Snorkelling & diving
* Bird watching

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Australian dollar (AUD)
Language – I-Kiribati, English (official)
Land Area – 322 km²
Population – 5,500 approx
Electricity – 2 angled flat pins and 1 round pin centred below Australian style
Time – GMT plus twelve hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 686

Port Location – The port is located at the village of London.

Transport Links – Cassidy International Airport is the only airport in Kiribati and is located just north of Banana and North East Point. Air Pacific makes a weekly stop between Honolulu and Nadi in Fiji.