Phoenix

Kanton Island (also spelled Canton and known locally as Abariringa) is the largest and only permanently settled atoll in Kiribati's remote Phoenix Islands. Its small settlement, Tebaronga, has only a handful of residents and functions as the administrative base for the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA).

The island has a distinctive history as a former Anglo-American condominium, a mid-20th-century transpacific aviation stopover and a World War II airbase. The 1937 total solar eclipse brought American and New Zealand scientists to Kanton and helped set off competing territorial claims between the United States and Britain.

Kanton's natural setting is its main attraction: a broad central lagoon, coral gardens near the entrance channel, seabird colonies and largely undisturbed reef systems. PIPA, one of the world's largest marine protected areas, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

Access is extremely limited and usually arranged through expedition vessels, research programmes or special permits. There are no hotels, restaurants or public transport, so visitors generally base themselves on expedition ships or in basic island accommodation coordinated with local authorities.

For travellers, Kanton offers rare expedition-style experiences such as reef exploration, birdwatching, lagoon trips and visits to World War II-era remains. Its wider relevance lies in conservation, scientific research and occasional government or supply operations rather than conventional tourism or business.