Line Islands, Archipelago in Central Pacific Ocean, Kiribati and United States
The Line Islands are a widely scattered chain of eleven small landmasses stretching more than 2400 kilometers across the central Pacific between Hawaii and the Society Islands. The group consists of low coral atolls and a few barren reefs, most remaining uninhabited and carrying sparse vegetation.
Polynesian seafarers reached these atolls centuries ago and left traces of settlement before the islands were abandoned again and European explorers mapped them in the 19th century. Both Britain and the United States claimed several of these islands until Kiribati took over most of them at independence in 1979.
The name comes from the straight sailing routes Spanish ships once followed through this area, though today only a few atolls remain inhabited. Residents rely on fishing and copra production, with their settlements running along narrow coastal strips on Kiritimati, Tabuaeran and Teraina.
The inhabited atolls in the Kiribati portion are best reached by air or occasional supply vessels, while the American islands generally remain closed to visitors. Travel to this remote area requires considerable planning because of limited connections and the absence of infrastructure on most islands.
The date line crosses this chain and places Kiritimati in the earliest inhabited time zone in the world, where New Year is celebrated first. Some atolls lie so close to the equator that they experience only minimal seasonal variation in temperature and daylight hours.
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