| a group of eight coral islands in the central Pacific: part of Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands). 11 sq. mi. (28 sq. km). |
| Phoenix Islands A group of eight islands in the central Pacific Ocean north of Samoa. Inhabited in prehistoric times by Austronesian peoples and later rediscovered by British and American explorers, they were administered at various times by one or both of the countries and are now part of Kiribati. |