Destruction by Phosphate Mining

The destruction on the edge of Te Aka sacred village site on Banaba 1960s

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Google satellite view of devastated Banaba today

The Banaban village of Buakonikai was situated on the lush central plateau and supplied the Banabans with an abundance of food trees. This photograph was taken of the village in 1932 before mining began.

Buakonikai village 1932 before mining

This is the devastation left by Phosphate mining on Banaba, and shows the stark pinnacles left after mining is finished. At Buakonikai the depth of mining went down to 80 feet. Today from an original island consisting of 1,500 acres, only 150 acres around the shoreline remains unmined. The rest of the island, as seen in this photo is left barren and uninhabitable.