First to see the new year — WWII beaches and the edge of the rising sea
South Tarawa is the capital of Kiribati (pronounced 'Kiribas') — a Central Pacific nation of 33 coral atolls straddling the equator and the International Date Line, making it the first country to see each new year. The atoll is barely 2 metres above sea level, making it one of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, and the beaches of Betio are scattered with Sherman tank remains from one of the bloodiest battles of WWII.
The Gilbert Islands (today's Kiribati) were settled over 3,000 years ago by Micronesian navigators. Britain made them a protectorate in 1892, and they became the site of the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943 — the US Marines' assault on Betio Island cost nearly 1,000 American and 4,700 Japanese lives in 76 hours of fighting. Kiribati gained independence in 1979 and is now internationally recognised as a frontline nation in the climate crisis, with the government purchasing land in Fiji as a potential relocation site.