On September 20, 1979, representatives of the newly independent Republic of Kiribati and of the United States met in Tarawa to sign a treaty of friendship between the two nations, known as the Treaty of Tarawa. More formally, the treaty is entitled, "Kiribati, Treaty of Friendship and Territorial Sovereignty, September 20, 1979"; and subtitled "Treaty of Friendship Between the United States of America and the Republic of Kiribati".^[1] In this treaty, the U.S. acknowledged Kiribati sovereignty over fourteen islands.^[2] The treaty was approved by the U.S. Senate on June 21, 1983.^[1] The treaty came into force on September 23, 1983, by the exchange of the instruments of ratification, which took place at Suva, Fiji.^[3] This, together with British cessation of claims, ended the Canton and Enderbury Islands Condominium, which had begun under the terms of the Guano Islands Act. In Art. 3 the US have reserved the right to maintain military bases on the Islands of Canton, Enderbury or Hull.

• Line Islands — divided by the treaty.
• Howland and Baker islands — U.S. possessions not included in the treaty.