Betio

Betio is the westernmost island of Tarawa Atoll in Kiribati and, at under one square kilometre, one of the most densely populated islands on Earth, home to roughly 18,500 people. It serves as Tarawa's main port and the primary gateway to the atoll. The island gained international significance during the Battle of Tarawa in November 1943, when US Marines stormed Japanese fortifications in one of the costliest engagements of the Pacific War — over 6,000 soldiers and civilians died in just 76 hours of fighting. Remnants of that battle, including a Sherman tank on the beach and concrete Japanese bunkers, remain scattered across the island today.