gilbert islands

English - English

Definition of gilbert islands in English English dictionary

a group of islands in Micronesia southwest of Hawaii; formerly part of the British colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands until it became part of the Republic of Kiribati in 1979

A group of islands of western Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean. Inhabited by a mixture of Polynesian and Melanesian peoples, the islands were first visited by the British in 1765, made a protectorate in 1892, and later became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (1915-1976). Full independence as the principal islands of Kiribati was achieved in 1979. Group of 16 coral atolls (pop., 1995: 65,939), part of the island nation of Kiribati, western Pacific Ocean. The islands, including Tarawa, the largest, occupy a total land area of 105 sq mi (272 sq km). The British visited them in the 18th and 19th centuries, and in 1892 they became a British protectorate. In 1916 they became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands crown colony. They were occupied by Japanese forces from 1941 to 1943 and saw heavy fighting. Made a separate territory in 1976, they became part of Kiribati in 1979

{i} group of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean (part of Kiribati)

Related Terms

gilbert and ellice islands

a former British possession in Micronesia

Hyphenation

gil·bert islands

Turkish pronunciation

gîlbırt aylındz

Pronunciation

/ˈgəlbərt ˈīləndz/ /ˈɡɪlbɜrt ˈaɪləndz/