For people in Abatao and Buota, it is much easier to access schools, clinics and other services on South Tarawa than to travel to the Government Station in Abaokoro.

From North to South, the villages and their populations are: Tarawa was governed as one island, under a king, until Colonial times.

[citation needed] The colonial administrative centre of Kiribati was originally located at Taratai in North Tarawa (where the last king used to live).

[10] In the early 1970s, a boat constructed at Taratai village was sailed to Fiji using traditional navigation techniques, as part of a project led by James Siers to demonstrate that Pacific seafarers were capable of making deliberate voyages of exploration in ancient times.

Educational attainment in Kiribati is largely restricted to the primary level; this is principally the result of a lack of availability and cost of secondary and tertiary schools on the islands.

The Island Council operates a guest house at Abaokoro, providing basic accommodation for Government workers and other visitors, but also welcoming tourists.

[18] Nooto-North Tarawa Conservation Area, 10.33 km2 (3.99 sq mi), is Ramsar Convention Site - Wetland of International Importance.