Abaiang, also spelled Apaiang, sometimes called Apia, and formerly named Charlotte Island, is a coral atoll of the Kiribati, located in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Abaiang comprises 15 islets (minimum one is inhabited) in the northern Gilberts with a total land area of 6 square miles. The atoll has a lagoon (16 by 5 miles (26 by 8 km)) that provides sheltered anchorage. Fanning Atoll (Tabuaeran) is a typical, small to moderate-sized atoll located in the central Pacific Ocean. ... The Gilbert Islands are a chain of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean, part of the nation Kiribati. ... A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt water separated from the deeper sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral reef, or similar feature. ...

Captain Thomas Gilbert was the European discoverer (1788); he named it Charlotte Island, after the owner of his ship, the Charlotte.

The foremost institution of Abaiang is St. Josephs College. The current Principal is The Reverend Sir Paul "Mad Dog" Chilton, a British migrant. St. Joseph's College was founded in 1939. In the past 65 years it has gone from strength to strength and is now a leading centre for learning in Kiribati. It's alumini include both current President His Excellency Anote Tong, and previous incumbent Teburoro Tito. Anote Tong (in Chinese, 湯安諾; pinyin: Tāng Ānnuò — his family name is of Chinese origin but it is now considered as Gilbertese by Kiribati people) (born 1952) is the president of Kiribati. ... Teburoro Tito (born 1953) was the President and foreign minister of Kiribati from October 1, 1994 to March 28, 2003. ...

In the southwest of Abaiang there is a channel, the Bingham Channel, who is the basic conjunction between the lagoon and the Pacific. The channel is between the biggest island of Abaiang (in the east) and a very little island in the southwest of Abaiang. For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ...

There is minimum one hotel on Abaiang: in Taburao you find the Nikuao Hotel.

Towns and villages on Abaiang

All the following places lie on the biggest island of Abaiang:

Aonobuaka - Borotiam - Koinawa - Evena - Morikao - Tabontebike - Tabwiroa - Taburao - Takarano - Tanimaiaki - Tebanga - Tuarabu - Ubanteman Tabontebike is a little city on the biggest island of the Kiribatian atoll of Abaiang. ...