Person

Tem Baiteke

19th century · 19th century

Tem Baiteke was a high chief of Abemama in the central Gilbert Islands, in present-day Kiribati, in the mid-19th century. Using firearms obtained from European traders, he brought the neighbouring atolls of Aranuka and Kuria under his rule, creating a small island kingdom. His son Tem Binoka succeeded him and became known through Robert Louis Stevenson's portrait.

Tem Baiteke
Image: Handley Bathurst Sterndale · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Abemama

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tem Baiteke. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tem-baiteke
MLA
“Tem Baiteke.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tem-baiteke. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Tem Baiteke.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tem-baiteke.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tem Baiteke’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/tem-baiteke (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻