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, 5B4AHJor via the Help Desk.


CallDate/Note (follow callsign links to see exact dates, QSLs and additional notes)
VR1B
1947-48
VR2AZ/VR11948 - April until August
VR1F1951 - January until April
VR1G1951 - May until December QSL reuired
VR1B1959 -65
VR1W, VR1Z1961 - March/April
VR1M1961 - September
VR1M1962 - May and June (2 operations)
VR3L/VR11962 - August/September
VR1B/A1964 - June QSL required
VR1P1968 - October/November
VR1W
1971 - September/October
VR1AB1971 - October until 1972 - February
VR1AC1971 - October until 1972 - September
VR1PA1972 - September until 1974 - January
VR1AC
1973 - June until 1976 - July
VR1PD1973 - October until 1974 - October
VR1PE1975 - January until August - QSL required (licensed in 1974)
VR1AY1978 - July until 1979 - May
VR1BE1979 - January - July
VR1BD1979 - January - July
VR1PJ1979 - July until October
VR1PK1979 - August until October
T3KA, T3PA1979 - October
T3AY1980 - April until December QSL required
T31AE1982 - October
T31AT
1984 - June/July
T31AT1985 - June/July
T31JS1988 - July
T31KY1991 - January/February
T31AF1991 - February/March
T31AF1993 - January February
T31BA, T31BB1994 - July/August T31BA QSL required
T31BA, T31BB1994 - 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, T31YL1999 - September/October
T31UT1999 - October until 2020 - March QSL required
T31MY2003 - January until Match
T31DX2008 - November/December
T31AA2009 - September
T31KN2010 - May/June
T31A2011 - April
T31DF2011 - November QSL required
T31AA
2012 - June
T31T2016 - October
T31EU2019 - February/March


The ones that didn't count
T31SI1994/95 - reported as a pirate by DXNS #1648 1999-01-04
T30DP/T31 
1996 - January - Pirate activity. QTH not Central Kiribati
T31CG, T31S, T31ST2014 - Pirate or busted call.
T31/IZ0TIB2014 - July - Pirate 
T31LP2015 - June - Operation from a boat
T31CWIssued to N7CW, probably never activated
T31HOXIssued to UA4HHOX, probably never activated
T31JHIssued to VK2XQ, probably never activated
T31PIssued to W9IXX, probably never activated
T31RIssued for a Kanton Island DXpedition, may not have been activated
T31TF, T31WW, T31XXIssued to JA8BMK, probably never activated he was QRV as T31DX
T31UR, T31XXIssued to Ukrainian DXpeditioners Team, probably never activated
T31ZAIssued to NH6ZA for a future DXpedition. Not yet activated
T31DOM2018  - 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

GDXF Supported DXpeditions

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