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Bougainville Island

Coordinates: 6°14′40″S 155°23′02″E / 6.24444°S 155.38389°E / -6.24444; 155.38389
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This article is about the island in Melanesia. For the island in the Falklands, see Lively Island.

Bougainville
Bougainville and neighbouring islands
Bougainville is located in Papua New Guinea
Bougainville
Bougainville
Bougainville Island (Papua New Guinea)
Geography
LocationMelanesia
Coordinates6°14′40″S 155°23′02″E / 6.24444°S 155.38389°E / -6.24444; 155.38389
ArchipelagoSolomon Islands
Area9,318 km2 (3,598 sq mi)
Highest elevation2,715 m (8907 ft)
Highest pointMount Balbi
Administration
Papua New Guinea
ProvinceAutonomous Region of Bougainville
Demographics
Population≈300,000 (2019)
Pop. density32.19/km2 (83.37/sq mi)
Additional information
Time zone

Bougainville Island (Tok Pisin: Bogenvil)[1] is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. Its land area is 9,300 km2 (3,600 sq mi). The population of the whole province, including nearby islets such as the Carterets, is approximately 300,000 (2019 census). The highest point is Mount Balbi, on the main island, at 2,715 m (8,907 ft).

The much smaller Buka Island, c. 500 km2 (190 sq mi), lies to the north, across the 400–500 m (1,300–1,600 ft) wide Buka Strait. Even though the strait is narrow, there is no bridge across it, but there is a regular ferry service between the key settlements on either side. The main airstrip in the north is in the town of Buka. Buka has an outcropping that is 175 km (109 mi) from New Ireland. Among the large islands of Papua New Guinea, New Ireland is the closest to Buka.

Bougainville is the largest island in the Solomon Islands archipelago. It was previously the main landmass in the German Empire—associated with the North Solomons. Most of the islands in this archipelago (which are primarily concentrated in the southern and eastern portions of it) are part of the politically independent Solomon Islands. Two of these islands—the closely connected Shortland Islands—are less than 9 km (5.6 mi) south or southeast of Bougainville, and about 30 km (19 mi) west of Choiseul, one of the settlements of which, Poroporo, faces Bougainville.

In a 2019 referendum, the citizens of Bougainville voted to become independent from Papua New Guinea by 2027, but the referendum was non-binding on the Papua New Guinea government, which has not committed to this.[2][3]

History

[edit]
Main article: History of Bougainville

Early history

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During the Last Ice Age, present-day Bougainville Island was part of a single landmass known as "Greater Bougainville", which spanned from the northern tip of Buka Island to the Nggela Islands. The earliest evidence of human settlement is at Kilu Cave on Buka Island, where the earliest remains are from 26,700 to 18,100 BC. The first settlers were Melanesian people, likely related to modern Papuans and Indigenous Australians. In the 2nd millennium BC, Austronesian people arrived, bringing with them domesticated pigs, chickens, dogs, and obsidian tools. The first European contact with Bougainville was in 1768, when the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville arrived and named the main island after himself.[4]

British and American whaling ships visited the island for provisions, water, and wood in the 19th century. The first on record was the Roscoe in 1822, and the last was Palmetto in 1881.[5] Later, the German Empire laid claim to Bougainville in 1899, annexing it into German New Guinea. Christian missionaries arrived on the island in 1902.[6] During World War I, Australia occupied German New Guinea, including Bougainville. It became part of the Australian Territory of New Guinea under a League of Nations mandate in 1920.[7]

United States Marines on Bougainville in November 1943

In 1942, during World War II, Japan invaded the island, but Allied forces launched the Bougainville campaign to regain control of the island in 1943.[8][9] Despite heavy bombardments, the Japanese garrisons remained on the island until 1945. Following the war, the Territory of New Guinea, including Bougainville, returned to Australian control. On 18 April 1943, in Bougainville Island, during the Pacific War, the Japanese admiral, commander-in-chief of Combined Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto, died after his plane was attacked by US fighter planes and crashed into the jungle.

Attempts at independence

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In 1949, the Territory of New Guinea, including Bougainville, merged with the Australian Territory of Papua, forming the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, a United Nations Trust Territory under Australian administration.[10] On 9 September 1975, the Parliament of Australia passed the Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975. On 11 September 1975, Bougainville declared itself the Republic of the North Solomons. Though it was later absorbed politically into Papua New Guinea.[11]

Between 1988 and 1998, the Bougainville Civil War claimed over 15,000 lives. Peace talks brokered by New Zealand began in 1997 and led to autonomy. A multinational Peace Monitoring Group (PMG) under Australian leadership was deployed. In 2001, a peace agreement was signed, including the promise of a referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea. This referendum was held between 23 November and 7 December 2019, with results being declared on 11 December.[12] The referendum question was a choice between greater autonomy within Papua New Guinea or full independence. Of the valid votes, 98.31% were in favour of full independence. The vote is not binding; the Government of Papua New Guinea has the final say on the status of Bougainville.[2][13]

Geography

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Map of Bougainville Island and Buka island

Bougainville is the largest island in the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is part of the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion. Bougainville and the nearby island of Buka are a single landmass separated by a deep 300-metre (980 ft) wide strait. The island has an area of 9,000 km2 (3,500 sq mi), and there are several active, dormant or inactive volcanoes that can rise to 2,400 m (7,900 ft). Bagana (1,750 metres [5,740 ft]) in the north central part of Bougainville is conspicuously active, spewing out smoke that is visible for many kilometres.[14] In 2013, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake was detected on the Bougainville Island; its epicenter was located 57 kilometers (35.4 miles) south of Panguna, a town on Bougainville Island.[15]

  • Bagana volcano
    Bagana volcano
  • Northern part of the island
    Northern part of the island
  • Buka Passage (1944)
    Buka Passage (1944)

Ecology

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Bougainville Island is primarily forested. Copper mining on the island by a Rio Tinto-owned mining operation in Panguna was known for their environmental impacts due to heavy metals.[16] More recently, deforestation in order to feed the growing population has affected the flow of many rivers on the island.[17][better source needed] The United Nations Environment Programme has offered to facilitate the cleanup of the Panguna mine and explore reopening it with more stringent environmental standards.[18]

Climate

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Bougainville Island has a tropical rainforest climate (Af on Köppen classification). The driest month is February.

Climate data for Bougainville
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 32
(89) 		32
(89) 		31
(88) 		31
(87) 		31
(87) 		31
(87) 		30
(86) 		31
(87) 		31
(87) 		30
(86) 		31
(88) 		31
(88) 		31
(87)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22
(72) 		22
(71) 		23
(73) 		22
(72) 		22
(71) 		22
(71) 		22
(71) 		22
(71) 		22
(71) 		22
(71) 		22
(72) 		23
(73) 		22
(72)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 560
(22.2) 		190
(7.5) 		370
(14.7) 		290
(11.4) 		280
(11.1) 		240
(9.5) 		510
(19.9) 		320
(12.7) 		350
(13.9) 		580
(22.9) 		420
(16.4) 		490
(19.2) 		4,610
(181.4)
Source: Weatherbase[19]

Economy

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Bougainville has one of the world's largest copper deposits, which has been under development since 1972. The panguna mine is estimated to have one billion tonnes of copper ore and 12 million ounces of gold.[20] It was later shut down in a revolution against the Australian-run mine.[21]

Demographics

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Religion

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The majority of people on Bougainville are Christian,[22] an estimated 70% being Roman Catholic and a substantial minority United Church of Papua New Guinea since 1968.[citation needed]

Languages

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There are many indigenous languages in Bougainville Province, belonging to three language families. The languages of the northern end of the island, and some scattered around the coast, belong to the Austronesian family. The languages of the north-central and southern lobes of Bougainville Island belong to the North and South Bougainville families.[citation needed]

Buka men performing at a Buin folk festival

The most widely spoken Austronesian language is Halia and its dialects, spoken on the island of Buka and the Selau peninsula of Northern Bougainville. The larger languages, such as Nasioi, Korokoro Motuna, Terei, and Halia, are split into dialects that are not always mutually understandable. For general communication, most Bougainvilleans use Tok Pisin as a lingua franca. English and Tok Pisin are the languages of official business and government.[23]

Other Austronesian languages include Nehan, Petats, Solos, Saposa (Taiof), Hahon and Tinputz, all spoken in the northern quarter of Bougainville, Buka and surrounding islands. These languages are closely related. Bannoni and Torau are Austronesian languages not closely related to the former, which are spoken in the coastal areas of central and south Bougainville. On the nearby Takuu Atoll, a Polynesian language is spoken, Takuu.[24] The Papuan languages are confined to the main island of Bougainville. These include Rotokas, a language with a very small inventory of phonemes, Eivo, Terei, Keriaka, Naasioi (Kieta), Nagovisi, Siwai (Motuna), Baitsi (sometimes considered a dialect of Siwai), Uisai and several others.[citation needed]

Human rights

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Cut off from the outside world for several years by a Papua New Guinean blockade during the civil war, the islanders suffered many deaths from a lack of medical resources.[25]

A 2013 United Nations survey of 843 men found that 62% (530 respondents) of those have raped a woman or girl at least once, with 26% (217 respondents) of the men reported having raped a non-partner, whereas 9% (74 respondents) reported having committed gang rape. Additionally, the survey also found that 8% (67 respondents) of the men had raped other men or boys.[26]

[edit]

The Coconut Revolution, a documentary about the struggle of the indigenous population to save their island from environmental destruction and gain independence, was made in 1999.[27]

An Evergreen Island (2000), a film by Australian documentary filmmakers Amanda King and Fabio Cavadini of Frontyard Films, showed the ingenuity with which the Bougainvillean people survived for almost a decade (1989–1997) without trade or contact with the outside world because of the PNG military blockade.[28]

Mr. Pip (2012) is a film by New Zealand director Andrew Adamson based on the book Mister Pip by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Bogenvil". Tok Pisin English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Bougainville referendum not binding - PM". Radio New Zealand. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  3. ^ Lyons, Kate (11 December 2019). "Bougainville referendum: region votes overwhelmingly for independence from Papua New Guinea". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  4. ^ Braithwaite, John; Charlesworth, Hilary; Ruddy, Peter; Dunn, Leah (2010). Reconciliation and Architectures of Commitment: Sequencing peace in Bougainville (PDF). ANU Press. p. 10. ISBN 9781921666698. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  5. ^ Langdon, Robert (1984), Where the whalers went: an index to the Pacific Ports and islands visited by American whalers (and some other ships) in the 19th century, Canberra, Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, p.184-5. ISBN 086784471X
  6. ^ Braithwaite, John; Charlesworth, Hilary; Ruddy, Peter; Dunn, Leah (2010). Reconciliation and Architectures of Commitment: Sequencing peace in Bougainville (PDF). ANU Press. p. 10. ISBN 9781921666698. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Chapter 2: History of the Bougainville Conflict". Parliament of Australia. Historical Influences (Pre-1989); 2.9.
  8. ^ Hall, R. Cargill (1991). Lightning Over Bougainville: The Yamamoto Mission Reconsidered. Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 1-56098-012-5.
  9. ^ Gailey, Harry A. (1991). Bougainville, 1943–1945: The Forgotten Campaign. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1748-8.
  10. ^ "Papua New Guinea (09/09)". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  11. ^ Knight, White (23 November 2019). "Commonwealth Stamps Opinion: 1550. 🇵🇬 Bougainville Begins Independence Voting". Commonwealth Stamps Opinion. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Bougainville set to hold long-awaited independence referendum". France 24. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  13. ^ Lyons, Kate (11 December 2019). "Bougainville referendum: region votes overwhelmingly for independence from Papua New Guinea". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Report on Bagana (Papua New Guinea) — 7 March-13 March 2007". Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  15. ^ Yasin Güngör, Muhammed (2 September 2024). "Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  16. ^ Wilson, Catherine (6 May 2022). "Bougainville starts process to reopen controversial Panguna mine". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  17. ^ Fong Roka, Leonard. "Water crisis looms from deforestation; alluvial mining". Bougainville 24 – BCL news blog. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  18. ^ "UNEP to help Bougainville manage clean-up of Rio Tinto mine". ABC News. 4 September 2013.
  19. ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Bougainville, Papua New Guinea". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on 24 November 2011.
  20. ^ Mcdonald, Joshua (22 November 2019). "Will Bougainville Reopen the Panguna Mine?". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Bougainville's gold mine sparked a war that killed 20,000 - now it could be reopened". SBS News. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  22. ^ Oge, Robin (25 August 2020). "Against amending the Constitution to make PNG a Christian country". Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  23. ^ Blackwood, Mark (5 May 2023). "Languages of Papua New Guinea: A Detailed Guide". thewordpoint.com. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  24. ^ Moyle, Richard (1980). Takuu Dictionary: A Polynesian language of the South Pacific. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. p. 428. ISBN 978-0858836372.
  25. ^ Connell, John (28 July 2005). Papua New Guinea: The Struggle for Development. Growth economies of Asia. Vol. 87. Routledge. p. 297. ISBN 9781134938322.
  26. ^ "Why do some men use violence against women and how can we prevent it" (PDF). Bangkok. 2013. pp. 1–3. ISBN 978-9746803601. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  27. ^ "Coconut Revolution, The (Bougainville story)".
  28. ^ "An Evergreen Island". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 19 January 2015.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Hall, R. Cargill (1991). Lightning Over Bougainville: The Yamamoto Mission Reconsidered. Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 1-56098-012-5.
  • Gailey, Harry A. (1991). Bougainville, 1943–1945: The Forgotten Campaign. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1748-8.
  • Hobbs, J. (2017). Fundamentals of World Regional Geography (4th ed.). Boston, Massachusetts.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bougainville Island.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bougainville.
  • Robert Young Pelton, Hunter Hammer and Heaven, Journeys to Three Worlds Gone Mad. ISBN 1-58574-416-6

6°14′40″S 155°23′02″E / 6.24444°S 155.38389°E / -6.24444; 155.38389

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