The DXCC entity of British Phoenix Islands, VR1 is listed in the ARRL countries list published in February 1947.
In 1979, the Republic of Kiribati was created, and the DXCC country of British Phoenix Islands became Central Kiribati.
Operations from Kanton/Canton Island with a KB6 or KH1 preifx counted as Baker, Howland and American Phoenix Islanda.
In late 1979, the US and the Republic of Kiribati signed a Treaty of Friendship in which the US renounced all claims to the Phoenix Islands.
Location map (credit: Martin W. Lewis, GeoCurrents) - look for Phoenix Islands:
Islands map (credit https://www.cruiserswiki.org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands
Prefix: VR1, T31 from 1979-10-01
Ranking in "Most Wanted" league
The IOTA reference for Central Kiribati is OC-043
Whitelisting
Central Kiribati is a whitelisted DXCC entity. The following table lists stations known to have been QRV from Central Kiribati and which are thought to be good for DXCC credit.
The callsigns below are the only ones that Club Log will map to Central Kiribati. These callsigns have been taken from QSL cards and other sources.
Callsigns that are not listed below, or QSOs outside the exception date range, will be not be mapped to Central Kiribati but will be mapped as INVALID.
Please advise any missing valid Central Kiribati callsigns to Alan, 5B4AHJ, or via the Help Desk.
| Call | Date/Note (follow callsign links to see exact dates, QSLs and additional notes) |
| VR1B | 1947-48 |
| VR2AZ/VR1 | 1948 - April until August |
| VR1F | 1951 - January until April |
| VR1G | 1951 - May until December QSL reuired |
| VR1B | 1959 -65 |
| VR1W, VR1Z | 1961 - March/April |
| VR1M | 1961 - September |
| VR1M | 1962 - May and June (2 operations) |
| VR3L/VR1 | 1962 - August/September |
| VR1B/A | 1964 - June QSL required |
| VR1P | 1968 - October/November |
| VR1W | 1971 - September/October |
| VR1AB | 1971 - October until 1972 - February |
| VR1AC | 1971 - October until 1972 - September |
| VR1PA | 1972 - September until 1974 - January |
| VR1AC | 1973 - June until 1976 - July |
| VR1PD | 1973 - October until 1974 - October |
| VR1PE | 1975 - January until August - QSL required (licensed in 1974) |
| VR1AY | 1978 - July until 1979 - May |
| VR1BE | 1979 - January - July |
| VR1BD | 1979 - January - July |
| VR1PJ | 1979 - July until October |
| VR1PK | 1979 - August until October |
| T3KA, T3PA | 1979 - October |
| T3AY | 1980 - April until December QSL required |
| T31AE | 1982 - October |
| T31AT | 1984 - June/July |
| T31AT | 1985 - June/July |
| T31JS | 1988 - July |
| T31KY | 1991 - January/February |
| T31AF | 1991 - February/March |
| T31AF | 1993 - January February |
| T31BA, T31BB | 1994 - July/August T31BA QSL required |
| T31BA, T31BB | 1994 - December until 1995 - January T31BA QSL required |
| T31BA, T31BB | 1996 - December until 1997 - January T31BA QSL required |
| T31BA, T31BB | 1997 - December until 1998 - January T31BA QSL required |
| T31K, T31T, T31YL | 1999 - September/October |
| T31UT | 1999 - October until 2020 - March QSL required |
| T31MY | 2003 - January until Match |
| T31DX | 2008 - November/December |
| T31AA | 2009 - September |
| T31KN | 2010 - May/June |
| T31A | 2011 - April |
| T31DF | 2011 - November QSL required |
| T31AA | 2012 - June |
| T31T | 2016 - October |
| T31EU | 2019 - February/March |
| The ones that didn't count | |
| T31SI | 1994/95 - reported as a pirate by DXNS #1648 1999-01-04 |
| T30DP/T31 | 1996 - January - Pirate activity. QTH not Central Kiribati |
| T31CG, T31S, T31ST | 2014 - Pirate or busted call. |
| T31/IZ0TIB | 2014 - July - Pirate |
| T31LP | 2015 - June - Operation from a boat |
| T31CW | Issued to N7CW, probably never activated |
| T31HOX | Issued to UA4HHOX, probably never activated |
| T31JH | Issued to VK2XQ, probably never activated |
| T31P | Issued to W9IXX, probably never activated |
| T31R | Issued for a Kanton Island DXpedition, may not have been activated |
| T31TF, T31WW, T31XX | Issued to JA8BMK, probably never activated he was QRV as T31DX |
| T31UR, T31XX | Issued to Ukrainian DXpeditioners Team, probably never activated |
| T31ZA | Issued to NH6ZA for a future DXpedition. Not yet activated |
| T31DOM | 2018 - April. Reported as a pirate by Les Nouvelles DX #944 2018-05-17 |
Acknowledgements and references
Anthony Quest G4UZN
ARRL Countries List, February 1947
Club Log Help Desk VR1 and VR3 prefixes - transition to VR8, T2, T3Ø, T31, T32 and T33
Club Log Help Desk VR1, KB6 - Canton & Enderbury Islands Condominium
Dokufunk
Ham Gallery Central Kiribati (British Phoenix, Canton Is.), Oceania
Ham Radio Horizons May 1985 - DX Horizons p54 (K5FUV)
Les Nouvelles DX VR1P - British Phoenix
Wikipedia Kanton Island
Wikipedia Phoenix Islands