Orona

atoll, Pacific Ocean

Also known as: Hull

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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Orona, also known as Hull Island, is one of the Phoenix Islands in the west-central Pacific Ocean. It is a coral atoll, a ring-shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Discovered by American whaling ships in the 19th century, Orona shows evidence of prehistoric habitation but was uninhabited when Europeans arrived.12

The Phoenix Islands, including Orona, were annexed by Great Britain in 1889 and later became part of Kiribati in 1979. Attempts to settle Orona with Gilbertese colonists in 1938 were unsuccessful due to inconsistent rainfall, and the entire population was moved in 1958 and 1963. Currently, Kanton is the only inhabited atoll in the Phoenix group.2

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Phoenix Islands
Nikumaroro (Gardner), Birnie, Orona (Hull), Kanton (Canton), and Enderbury atolls. They have a total land area of approximately 11 square miles (29 square km). All are low, sandy atolls that were discovered in the 19th century by American whaling ships. Evidence on Manra, Orona, and Nikumaroro suggests that…
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Nikumaroro (Gardner), Birnie, Orona (Hull), Kanton (Canton), and Enderbury atolls. They have a total land area of approximately 11 square miles (29 square km). All are low, sandy atolls that were discovered in the 19th century by American whaling ships. Evidence on Manra, Orona, and Nikumaroro suggests that…
Read More