There are a total of 21 inhabited islands in Kiribati. Kiribati is divided into three island groups, including a group that unites the Line Islands and the Phoenix Islands (ministry at London, Kiritimati) Island. The groups have no administrative function.
South Tarawa (in Gilbertese Tarawa Teinainano) is the capital and hub of the Republic of Kiribati and home to approximately half of Kiribati's total population. The South Tarawa population center consists of all the small islets from Betio in the West to Bonriki in the East, connected by the South Tarawa main road; with a population of 50,182 as of 2010.
Kiribati's population was 103,058 in 2010. The vast majority (>90%) of people inhabit the Gilbert Islands, with more than 33% populating an area of about 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi) on South Tarawa. Until recently, the people of Kiribati mostly lived in villages with populations between 50 and 3,000 on the outer islands.