New Britain (Tok Pisin: Niu Briten ) is the largest island in the Bismarck Islands (named after Otto von Bismarck) from Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel. New Britain's main cities are Rabaul/Kokopo and Kimbe. The island is about the size of Taiwan. While the island is part of New Guinea Germany, it is named Neupommern ("New Pomerania").
Video New Britain
Geography
The New Britain extends from 148 ° 18'31 "to 152 ° 23'57" East Longitude and from 4 ° 08'25 "to 6 ° 18'31" S latitude. It is crescent shaped, about 520 km (320 mi) along the southeast coastline, and from 29 to 146 km (18-91 miles) wide, excluding the small central peninsula. The distance from west to east is 477 km (296 mi). The island is the 38th largest in the world, with an area of ​​36,520 km <2>/(14,100 sq mi).
The steep cliff forms several parts of the coastline; in other mountains more inland, and coastal areas flat and constrained by coral reefs. The highest point, at 2,438 m (7,999 ft), is Mount Sinewit in the Baining range in the east. Most of the plains are covered with tropical rain forests and some major rivers are fed by high rainfall.
New England is largely formed by volcanic processes, and there are several active volcanoes on the island, including Ulawun (Papua New Guinea's highest volcano), Langila, Garbuna Group, Sulu Range, and Tavurvur and Vulcan volcanoes from Rabaul Caldera. The great eruption of Tavurvur in 1994 destroyed the capital of Rabaul Province, the capital of East New Britain. Most of the city still lies beneath the meter of ash, and the capital has been moved to nearby Kokopo.
Maps New Britain
Administrative division
New Britain is part of the Islands Region, one of four areas in Papua New Guinea. It consists of land from two provinces:
- East New Britain with headquarters in Kokopo (formerly Rabaul)
- West New Britain with headquarters in Kimbe
Modern history
- For missionary history, see Solomon Islands Apostolic Vicariate North
pre-1700
1700-1914
William Dampier became the first known European to visit England on February 27, 1700: he dubbed the island with the Latin name Nova Britannia , (English: New Britain ).
In November 1884, Germany proclaimed its protectorate of the New Britain Islands; the German colonial administration gave New Britain and New Ireland the names of Neupommern (or Neu-Pommern; "New Pomerania") and Neumecklenburg (or Neu-Mecklenburg; "New Mecklenburg") respectively, and the entire island group was named after the Bismarck Islands.. New Britain became part of New Guinea Germany.
In 1909, the indigenous population was estimated at about 190,000; the foreign population in 773 (474 ​​â € <â €
On September 11, 1914, New Britain became one of the earliest battles in World War I when the Australian Army and Expeditionary Army landed on the island. They quickly flooded German troops and occupied the island during the war.
Between world war
After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919, in which Germany was stripped of all its possessions outside Europe. In 1920 the League of Nations included New Britain along with the former German colony in New Guinea in the New Guinea Territory, the territory of the Australian mandate.
World War II
During World War II, the Japanese attacked New Britain immediately after the outbreak of hostilities in the Pacific Ocean. The strategic base in Rabaul and Kavieng (New Ireland) is defended by a small Australian detachment, Lark Force. During January 1942, the Japanese bombed Rabaul. On January 23, the Japanese marines landed by the thousands, starting the Battle of Rabaul. Japan used Rabaul as a key base until 1944; this served as a key point for Port Moresby's failed invasion (May to November, 1942).
The UK was newly attacked by the 1st US Marines Division in Cape Gloucester area on the western tip of the island, as well as by US Army troops at several other coastal points. As for Cape Gloucester, with its swamp and mosquitoes, the marines say that it is "worse than Guadalcanal". They captured an airstrip but reached only slightly towards reducing the Japanese base at Rabaul.
The Allied plan involved through Rabaul by circling it with air and naval bases in the neighboring islands and in the New England itself. The adjacent northern Irish island skipped it altogether. Most of the stories from the Japanese side, especially the two counts of suicide by the Baalen group, are retold in Shigeru Mizuki's Up Towards Our Noble Death . The factual Telemovie Sisters of War recounts the experiences of Australian army nurses and Catholic nuns during the conflict.
Since 1945
The population of the main town of Rabaul was evacuated as a result of volcanic activity in 1994 that buried the city under a thick layer of volcanic ash.
People and culture
The natives of New Britain belong to two main groups: the Papuans, who have inhabited the island for tens of thousands of years, and the Austronesians, who arrived about two thousand years ago. There are about ten Papuan languages ​​spoken and about forty Austronesian languages, as well as Tok Pisin and English. The population of Papua is largely confined to the east of the three islands and some small pockets in the central highlands. In the Gulf of Jacquinot, in the southeast, they live beside the beach where the waterfall strikes directly into the sea.
The new British population was 493,585 in 2010. The Austronesians are the majority on the island. The major cities are Rabaul/Kokopo in East New Britain and Kimbe in West New Britain.
New Britain hosts a diverse and complex traditional culture. While Tolai Rabaul region in Eastern New England has a matrilineal society, other groups are patrilineal. There are many traditions that remain active today, such as the confidential community community (also known as tubuan ) in the Tolai area.
Ecology
Forests in New Britain have been destroyed rapidly in recent years, mostly to open up land for oil palm plantations. The lowland rainforests have been hit hardest, with almost a quarter of the forests below 100 m disappearing between 1989 and 2000. If the rate of deforestation continues, it is estimated that all forests below 200 m will be cleared by 2060.
See also
- Postage stamps from the New England
Resources and resources
- References
Source
- This article combines text from publications now in the public domain: Ã, Thomas Kennedy (1913). "New Apostolic Vicariate of Pomerania". In Herbermann, Charles. Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton.
- This article incorporates text from publications now in the public domain: Ã, Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "New Pommern". EncyclopÃÆ'Â|dia Britannica (issue 11). Cambridge University Press.
External links
- Nationsonline.org: Solomon Islands
- Ethnologue.com: New English Map
- Australian War Memorial, Operation against the German Pacific region - (6 August - 6 November 1914) .
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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