Wewak
Encyclopedia
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik
province of Papua New Guinea
. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea
. It is the largest town between Madang
and Jayapura
. It is the see city (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak
.
, Wewak was the site of the largest Japan
ese airbase in mainland New Guinea. The base was subjected to repeated bombing by Australian and U.S. planes, most notably in one massive attack
on 17 August 1943. Directly to the west of the town centre is a peninsula known as Cape Wom, which was the site of the surrender of Japanese forces in New Guinea, and now houses a small memorial. The Japanese airfield is still used to this day.
In August 1945 two war crimes trials were held near Wewak for mutilation and cannibalism. One of the accused was convicted and sentenced to death (later commuted to 5 years imprisonment with hard labour) and the other accused was acquitted.
The old centre of the town is situated on a small peninsula, with the rest of the urban area occupying a narrow band of flat land between the ocean and the coastal range of mountains that emerges a short distance inland.
To the east of the town center is a small peninsula on which is located Boram Hospital, and Wewak International Airport, which is also known as Boram.
Wewak is linked by road to three villages on the Sepik River: Angoram
, Timbunke, and Pagui, though the roads are not always in good condition. In addition, a coastal highway extends to the west, linking Wewak with the coastal towns of Aitape
and Vanimo
, which is the capital of Sandaun
province.
East Sepik
East Sepik is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Wewak. East Sepik has an estimated population of 343,180 people and is roughly 42,800 km square in size.-History:...
province 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...
. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. It is the largest town between Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
and Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
. It is the see city (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madang. It was elevated to a diocese in 1966.-Bishops of Wewak:*Camisio Teodoro Gellings, SS.CC. *Adalberto Ottone Rielander, SS.CC....
.
History
Between 1943 and 1945, during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Wewak was the site of the largest Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
ese airbase in mainland New Guinea. The base was subjected to repeated bombing by Australian and U.S. planes, most notably in one massive attack
Bombing of Wewak
The Bombing of Wewak was a series of air raids by the USAAF Fifth Air Force, on 17–21 August 1943, against the major air base of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force on the mainland of New Guinea, at Wewak...
on 17 August 1943. Directly to the west of the town centre is a peninsula known as Cape Wom, which was the site of the surrender of Japanese forces in New Guinea, and now houses a small memorial. The Japanese airfield is still used to this day.
In August 1945 two war crimes trials were held near Wewak for mutilation and cannibalism. One of the accused was convicted and sentenced to death (later commuted to 5 years imprisonment with hard labour) and the other accused was acquitted.
Geography
The old centre of the town is situated on a small peninsula, with the rest of the urban area occupying a narrow band of flat land between the ocean and the coastal range of mountains that emerges a short distance inland.
Wewak is linked by road to three villages on the Sepik River: Angoram
Angoram
Angoram is a town and seat of Angoram District in East Sepik Province in northwestern Papua New Guinea. The area is noted for its rubber and cocoa plantations and the town is situated on the Sepik River. The town is served by Angoram Airport....
, Timbunke, and Pagui, though the roads are not always in good condition. In addition, a coastal highway extends to the west, linking Wewak with the coastal towns of Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
and Vanimo
Vanimo
Vanimo is the capital of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea. It is located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia.Vanimo is a small township with an economy based around the timber industry. Logging company Vanimo Forest Products, which is owned by Malaysian company Rimbunan Hijau, is...
, which is the capital of Sandaun
Sandaun
Sandaun Province, officially West Sepik Province, is the north-westernmost province of Papua New Guinea. It covers an area of 36,300 km² and has a population of 185,741 . The capital is Vanimo...
province.