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The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea
New Guinea

New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the List of islands by area, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period....
 in the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 and part of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
.

first inhabitants of the Archipelago arrived around 33,000 years ago after sailing from what is now Papua New Guinea or via an uplift of the crust creating a temporary land bridge. Later arrivals included the Lapita
Lapita

Lapita is the common name of an ancient Pacific Ocean archaeological culture which is believed by many archaeologists to be the common ancestor of several cultures in Polynesia, Micronesia, and some areas of Melanesia....
 people.

The first European to visit these islands was Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 explorer Willem Schouten
Willem Schouten

Willem Cornelisz Schouten was a Netherlands navigator.In 1615 Willem Cornelisz Schouten and Jacob le Maire sailed from Texel in the Netherlands, in command of an expedition sponsored by Isaac Le Maire and his Australische Compagnie in equal shares with Schouten....
 in 1616.






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The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea
New Guinea

New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the List of islands by area, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period....
 in the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 and part of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
.

History

The first inhabitants of the Archipelago arrived around 33,000 years ago after sailing from what is now Papua New Guinea or via an uplift of the crust creating a temporary land bridge. Later arrivals included the Lapita
Lapita

Lapita is the common name of an ancient Pacific Ocean archaeological culture which is believed by many archaeologists to be the common ancestor of several cultures in Polynesia, Micronesia, and some areas of Melanesia....
 people.

The first European to visit these islands was Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 explorer Willem Schouten
Willem Schouten

Willem Cornelisz Schouten was a Netherlands navigator.In 1615 Willem Cornelisz Schouten and Jacob le Maire sailed from Texel in the Netherlands, in command of an expedition sponsored by Isaac Le Maire and his Australische Compagnie in equal shares with Schouten....
 in 1616.

The islands remained unsettled by western Europeans until they became part of the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 protectorate
Protectorate

A protectorate, in international law, is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity, in exchange for which the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship....
 of German New Guinea
German New Guinea

German New Guinea was a former Germany protectorate from 1884 to 1914, consisting of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups....
 in 1884. The area was named in honour of the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 chancellor
Chancellor of Germany (German Reich)

The head of government of the German Reich was called Reich Chancellor or short Chancellor from 1871 until 1945. This designation stems from the German chancellor tradition from the Middle Ages and the early modern era....
 Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck

Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Sch?nhausen, Duke of Lauenburg, Prince of Bismarck, , was a Kingdom of Prussia and Germany statesman and aristocrat of the 19th century....
.

On 13 March 1888, a volcano
Volcano

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or Crust , which allows hot, molten rock, ash, and gases to escape from below the surface....
 erupted on Ritter Island
Ritter Island

Ritter Island is a small crescent-shaped volcanic island 100 kilometres northeast of New Guinea, situated between Umboi Island and Sakar Island....
 causing a megatsunami
Megatsunami

Megatsunami is an informal term to indicate a tsunami that has initial wave heights that are much larger than normal tsunami. Unlike usual tsunamis, which originate from tectonic plate and the raising or lowering of the sea floor, known megatsunamis have originated from large scale impact events such as landslides and meteor impacts....
. Almost 100% of the volcano fell in to the ocean leaving a small crater lake
Crater Lake

Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity....
.

Following the outbreak of World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force
Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force

The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force was a small volunteer force of approximately 2,000 men, raised in Australia shortly after the outbreak of the World War I to seize and destroy Germany wireless telegraphy stations in German New Guinea in the south-west Pacific Ocean....
 seized the islands in 1914 and Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 later received a League of Nations
League of Nations

The League of Nations was an inter-governmental organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919?1920. At its greatest extent from 28 September 1934 to 23 February 1935, it had 58 members....
 mandate
Mandate

Mandate can refer to:*Mandate , same as power of attorney in common law*Mandate , an obligation handed down by an inter-governmental body*Mandate , an official or authoritative command; an order or injunction...
 for the islands. They remained under Australian control — interrupted only by Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
ese occupation during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 — until Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975.

Geography

The Bismarck archipelago
Archipelago

An archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago literally means "chief sea", from Italian language arcipelago , derived ultimately from Greek language arkhon and pelagos ....
 includes mostly volcanic islands spread into 4 provinces with an area of where the most important islands include:

Papua New Guinea Provinces (numbers)
* East New Britain
East New Britain

East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely destroyed in a 1994 volcanic eruption....
 Province (4)
    • New Britain
      New Britain

      New Britain is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier Strait , and from New Ireland by the St....
       or Niu Briten, main island
    • Duke of York Islands
      Duke of York Islands

      The Duke of York Islands, , are a group of islands located in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. They are found in St George's Channel between New Britain and New Ireland islands and form part of Bismarck Archipelago....


  • Manus Province
    Manus Province

    Manus Province is the smallest province in Papua New Guinea with a land area of 2,100 km?, but with more than 220,000 km? of water. The capital of the province is Lorengau and the total population is 43,387 ....
     (9)
    • Admiralty Islands
      Admiralty Islands

      The Admiralty Islands are a group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, named after the largest island....
    • Manus Island
      Manus Island

      Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the 5th largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km?, measuring around 100 km x 30 km....
      , main island
    • Lou Island
    • Los Negros Island
      Los Negros Island

      Los Negros Island is the third largest of the Admiralty Islands. It is significant because it contains the main airport of Manus Province on its eastern coastline, at Momote Airport....
    • Ndrova Island
    • Tong Island
    • Baluan Island
      Baluan Island

      Baluan Island is the southern most island of the Admiralty Islands group which make up the majority of Manus Province in Papua New Guinea. It is formed from an extinct volcano....
    • Pak Island
    • Purdy Islands
    • Rambutyo Island
      Rambutyo Island

      Rambutyo Island is one of the Admiralty Islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, located at . Politically, Rambutyo Island is part of Manus Province, Papua New Guinea....
    • St Andrews Islands
    • Western Islands
      Western Islands, Papua New Guinea

      The Western Islands are a group of islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of Papua New Guinea, off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean....
       with
    • Aua Island
      Aua Island

      Aua is an island in the Bismarck Archipelago. It is part of the Western Islands, Papua New Guinea.Aua Island is equipped with an airport according to the List of airports by IATA code: A ....
    • Hermit Islands
    • Kaniet Islands
    • Ninigo Islands
    • Wuvulu Island
      Wuvulu Island

      Wuvulu Island is part of the Western Islands, Papua New Guinea of the Bismarck Archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, part of Manus Province, Papua New Guinea....


  • New Ireland Province (12)
    • New Ireland
      New Ireland (island)

      New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 8,650 km? in area. It is the main and largest island of the New Ireland Province....
       or Niu Ailan, main island
    • New Hanover
      New Hanover Island

      New Hanover Island, , also called Lavongai, is a large volcanic island island in New Ireland Province, part of the Bismarck Archipelago of the New Guinea Islands region of Papua New Guinea, at ....
       or Lavongai
    • Feni Islands
      Feni Islands

      Feni Islands is an island group in Papua New Guinea, located east of New Ireland , at . It is a part of Bismarck Archipelago. Largest island of the group is Ambitle Island, other islands include Babase Island....
    • Lihir Island
      Lihir Island

      Lihir Island is the largest island in the Lihir Group of islands, 22 km wide and 14.5 km long, in Papua New Guinea's New Ireland Province....
    • Tabar Group
      Tabar Group

      The Tabar Group is an island group in Papua New Guinea, located north of New Ireland . It is a part of the Bismarck Archipelago. The group contains Tabar Island, Tatau Island and Simberi Island....
    • Tanga Group
    • Saint Matthias Group


  • West New Britain
    West New Britain

    West New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea on the islands of New Britain. The provincial capital is Kimbe. The area of the province in 21,000 km?, and there are 184,508 inhabitants ....
     Province     (18)
    • New Britain
      New Britain

      New Britain is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier Strait , and from New Ireland by the St....
       or Niu Briten, main island
    • Vitu Islands
      Vitu Islands

      Vitu Islands , is a volcanic group with an area of 37 sq mi located in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea in the South West Pacific....


  • Bougainville Province
    Bougainville Province

    The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, also known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Solomon Islands group....
     (14) Autonomous and lying southeast of the Feni Islands **
    • Bougainville Island
      Bougainville Island

      political geography, Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, part of Papua New Guinea . This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons....
    • Buka Island
      Buka Island

      Buka Island is the second largest island in the Papua New Guinean province of Bougainville Province....
    • Carteret Islands
      Carteret Islands

      The Carteret Islands are Papua New Guinea islands located 86 km  north-east of Bougainville Island in the Oceania....
    • Green Islands
      Green Islands, Papua New Guinea

      The Green Islands are a small group of islands in Papua New Guinea. They are located at , about 200 km east of Rabaul on New Britain and about 200 km northwest of Bougainville Island....
       (which sometimes are included despite not really being part of the area.)


Bibliography

  • Firth, Stewart (1983). New Guinea Under the Germans. Carlton, Australia: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0522842208.
  • Howe, K. R., Robert C. Kiste, Brij V. Lal, eds. (1994). Tides of History: The Pacific Islands in the Twentieth Century. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0824815971.
  • King, David et al. (1982). Papua New Guinea Atlas: A Nation in Transition. Bathurst, Australia: R. Brown and the University of Papua New Guinea. ISBN 0909197148.
  • Moore, Clive (2003). New Guinea: Crossing Boundaries and History. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0824824857.
  • Ryan, Peter, ed. (1972). Encyclopedia of Papua New Guinea. 3 volumes; Vol I: A - K, maps, black and white illustrations, xv + 588pp. Vol II: l - Z, maps, black and white illustrations, 589-1231pp. Vol III: Index, folding colour map in rear pocket, map, colour illustration, v + 83pp. Carlton, Australia: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522840254.


External links