Topography Situated near the equator, the Gilbert Islands are remote. As the northernmost atoll, Makin is southwest of Oahu, Hawaii. Tarawa is 105 nautical miles south of Makin and is approximately 2,049 nautical miles away from Hawaii. Apamama is in southern Tarawa. Triangular in shape, Makin encloses a large lagoon, and its southeast leg forms the mainland. Making the southeast leg are Butaritari, a connecting reef, and Kuma, and the leg is 13 miles long and averages 500 yards wide. At its highest point, Butaritari is twelve feet above sea level. Butaritari is the largest atoll, and its shape appears like a crutch. Butaritari's armrest faces west, and its leg points southwest with a slight tip north. Butaritari is five football fields wide…show more content… As the terrain varies, the military broke up Butaritari into three zones. In the extreme west, the terrain is conducive to mobility with some coconut trees and salt brush. Near the middle, an inland lagoon with salt brush dominated the terrain and made it impassable for vehicles. Located in the center of the area was the village of Butaritari, and the terrain was dry and flat here. In the far eastern part, the land was good and had some taro pits, and in the easternmost point, a gradual thickening of the coconut trees. Situated in this region is Ukiangong Village, and on the peninsula in the north is Flink Point. Connecting the Ukiangong Village to Flink Pont is a road, and an additional road traverses the atoll through Butaritari village from the Pacific Ocean in the south to the lagoon in the north. There were four piers used as landmarks to guide the naval vessels into the northern shore, and starting in the west were On Chong’s Wharf, King’s Wharf, Stone Pier, and Government Wharf. In addition, the Japanese had built the West Tank Barrier and East Tank Barrier, which sat at each end of the atoll and were prime targets to
