| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Funafuti |
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(f näf´t ) (KEY) , chief atoll of Tuvalu, S Pacific. It comprises 30 islets of a reef 13 mi (21 km) long, with a land area of c.1 sq mi (2.6 sq km). The island was discovered in 1819 and became part of a British colony in 1915. An expedition led by Sir Edgeworth David in 1897 proved the Darwinian theory of atoll formation (see coral reefs) by sinking a 1,100 ft (335 m) bore into the island. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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