An island country of the western Pacific Ocean north of Fiji. Organized as a British protectorate in 1892, the islands became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony in 1915 and achieved independence in 1978. Fongafale, on Funafuti Island, is the capital. Population: 12,000.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
