The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the

Islands Region The New Guinea Islands Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea (PNG), comprising the Bismarck Archipelago and north-western Solomon Islands Archipelago, located north-east of New Guinea island (the mainland). This is the least populou ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. Its area is about 50,000 square km.

History

The first inhabitants of the

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

arrived around 30–40,000 years ago. They may have traveled from New Guinea, by boat across the

Bismarck Sea The Bismarck Sea (, ) lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean within the nation of Papua New Guinea. It is located northeast of the island of New Guinea and south of the Bismarck Archipelago. It has coastlines in districts of the Islands Region, ...

or via a temporary

land bridge In biogeography, a land bridge is an isthmus or wider land connection between otherwise separate areas, over which animals and plants are able to cross and colonize new lands. A land bridge can be created by marine regression, in which sea ...

, created by an uplift in the Earth's crust. Later arrivals included the

Lapita The Lapita culture is the name given to a Neolithic Austronesian people and their material culture, who settled Island Melanesia via a seaborne migration at around 1600 to 500 BCE. They are believed to have originated from the northern Philipp ...

people. The first European to visit these islands was Dutch explorer

Willem Schouten Willem Cornelisz Schouten ( – 1625) was a Dutch navigator for the Dutch East India Company. He was the first to sail the Cape Horn route to the Pacific Ocean. Biography Willem Cornelisz Schouten was born in c. 1567 in Hoorn, Holland, Seven ...

in 1616. The islands remained unsettled by western Europeans until they were annexed as part of the German

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its inte ...

German New Guinea German New Guinea (german: Deutsch-Neu-Guinea) consisted of the northeastern part of the island of New Guinea and several nearby island groups and was the first part of the German colonial empire. The mainland part of the territory, called , ...

in 1884. The area was named in honour of the

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of ...

. On 13 March 1888, a

volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates ...

erupted on Ritter Island causing a

megatsunami A megatsunami is a very large wave created by a large, sudden displacement of material into a body of water. Megatsunamis have quite different features from ordinary tsunamis. Ordinary tsunamis are caused by underwater tectonic activity (movemen ...

. Almost the entire volcano fell into the ocean, leaving a small

crater lake Crater Lake (Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills ...

Following the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the

Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) was a small volunteer force of approximately 2,000 men, raised in Australia shortly after the outbreak of World War I to seize and destroy German wireless stations in German New Guin ...

seized the islands in 1914 and Australia later received a

League of Nations mandate A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for adminis ...

for the islands. They remained under Australian administration—interrupted only by

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

occupation during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

—until Papua New Guinea became independent in September 1975.

Geography

The Bismarck Archipelago includes mostly

volcanic island Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often form ...

s with a total land area of . The archipelago encompasses the

and sits upon the North Bismarck Plate, the Manus Plate and the

South Bismarck Plate The South Bismarck Plate is a small tectonic plate located in the southern Bismarck Sea. The eastern part of New Guinea and the island of New Britain are on this plate. Tectonics Convergent boundaries line the southern border including the su ...

. Islands are grouped here according to administrative province: Bismarck Archipelago within Papua New Guinea provinces (numbers) 2012

Manus Province Manus Province is the smallest province in Papua New Guinea in terms of both land area and population, with a land area of , but with more than of water, and the total population is 60,485 (2011 census). The provincial town of Manus is Lorengau. ...

(''see 9 on the map'') **

Admiralty Islands The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-co ...

, group of 18 islands including: ***

Manus Island Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth-largest island in Papua New Guinea, with an area of , measuring around . Manus Island is covered in rugged jungles ...

, main 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. It is connected to Lorengau, the capital of the province, on Manus Is ...

***

Lou Island Lou Island is an island of the Admiralty Islands, part of the Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region o ...

***

Ndrova Island Big Ndrova Island, sometimes called simply Ndrova Island,Boyd D. Peterson, William R. Garren, and Charles M. Heyda, United States Board on Geographic Names, ''Gazetteer of Papua New Guinea: Names Approved by the United States Board on Geographic N ...

*** Tong Island ***

Baluan Island Baluan Island (formerly known as Saint Patrick Island) is the southernmost island of the Admiralty Islands group which makes up the majority of Manus Province in Papua New Guinea. It belongs to the Pam Islands, an island subgroup to the south of ...

*** Pak Island *** Purdy Islands *** Rambutyo Island *** St. Andrews Islands ** Western Islands, with: *** Aua Island *** Hermit Islands ***

Kaniet Islands The Kaniet Islands are the easternmost group islands within the Western Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. It consists four islands and one islet. Their coordinates are , located north-east of the Hermit Islands. Sae Island ...

(Anchorite) ****

Sae Island Sae Island is the northernmost island within the Western Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. It is located just north-west of the Kaniet Islands, under which it is often subsumed, although the two are distinct. Another name for ...

*** Ninigo Islands ***

Wuvulu Island Wuvulu Island (also known as Mary Island, Matty, Maty Island, Tiger Island, Tiger-Inseln and Wuwulu) is part of the Western Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, part of Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. It is the w ...

New Ireland Province New Ireland Province, formerly New Mecklenburg (german: Neu-Mecklenburg), and Nova Hibernia, is the northeasternmost Provinces of Papua New Guinea, province of Papua New Guinea. Physical geography The largest island of the province is New Ireland ...

(12) ** New Ireland or also Niu Ailan, main island ** New Hanover or Lavongai **

St Matthias Islands The St Matthias Islands (also known as the Mussau islands) are a small archipelago group of islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, in northern Papua New Guinea. They are within New Ireland Province. Geography There are at least 10 islands. The larg ...

** Tabar Group **

Lihir Group Lihir Group is an island group in Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, I ...

** Tanga Group **

Feni Islands The Feni Islands are an island group in Papua New Guinea, located east of New Ireland, at . It is a part of the Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western ...

** Dyaul Island Sun, Sea, Sand And Volcano

East New Britain East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, consisting of the north-eastern part of the island of New Britain and the Duke of York Islands. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely de ...

Province (4) **

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the D ...

or also Niu Briten, main island **

Duke of York Islands The Duke of York Islands (formerly german: link=no, Neu lauenburg) are a group of islands located in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. They are found in StGeorge's Channel between New Britain and New Ireland islands and form part ...

*** Kabakon *** Ulu *

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 is 20,387 km² with a population of 264,264 as of the 2011 census. The province's only land border is w ...

Province (18) **

or also Niu Briten, main island ** Vitu Islands *

Morobe Province Morobe Province is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital and largest city is Lae. The province covers 33,705 km2, with a population of 674,810 (2011 census), and since the division of Southern Highlands P ...

(11) **

Umboi Island Umboi (also named Rooke or Siassi) is a volcanic island between the mainland of Papua New Guinea and the island of New Britain. It is separated from New Britain by the Dampier Strait and Huon Peninsula, and New Guinea by the Vitiaz Strait. It has ...

** Tolokiwa Island **

Sakar Island Sakar Island is a volcanic island north-west of New Britain in the Bismarck Sea, at . It is a stratovolcano with a summit crater lake. No recorded eruptions are known. See also * List of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea This is a list of active ...

** Ritter Island ** Malai Island **

Tuam Island Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...

Madang Province Madang is a province of Papua New Guinea. The province is on the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea and has many of the country's highest peaks, active volcanoes and its biggest mix of languages. The capital is the town of Madang. D ...

(8) ** Long Island ** Crown Island **

Karkar Island Karkar Island is an oval-shaped volcanic island located in the Bismarck Sea, about 30 kilometres off the north coast of mainland Papua New Guinea in Madang Province, from which it is separated by the Isumrud Strait. The island is about 25&nb ...

Bagabag Island The name Bagabag may refer to: * Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, a 3rd class municipality in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines * Bagabag (Papua New Guinea) Bagabag is an island in the Madang Province of Papua New Guinea having a dormant volcan ...

** Manam * East Sepik Province (5) **

Schouten Islands The Schouten Islands ( id, Kepulauan Biak, also Biak Islands or Geelvink Islands) are an island group of Papua province, eastern Indonesia in the Cenderawasih Bay (or Geelvink Bay) 50 km off the north-western coast of the island of New ...

The passage of water between the islands of New Britain and New Ireland is called ''St. George's Channel'' after

St. George's Channel St George's Channel ( cy, Sianel San Siôr, ga, Muir Bhreatan) is a sea channel connecting the Irish Sea to the north and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. Historically, the name "St George's Channel" was used interchangeably with "Irish Sea" ...

in the British Isles between Wales and Ireland.

Notes

Bibliography

* Firth, Stewart (1983). ''New Guinea Under the Germans''. Carlton, Australia: Melbourne University Press. . * 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. . * King, David ''et al.'' (1982). ''Papua New Guinea Atlas: A Nation in Transition''. Bathurst, Australia: R. Brown and the University of Papua New Guinea. . * Moore, Clive (2003). ''New Guinea: Crossing Boundaries and History''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. . * 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. .

External links

* * {{Authority control Archipelagoes of Papua New Guinea Islands Region (Papua New Guinea) Bismarck Sea Archipelagoes of Oceania Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean Lists of islands of Papua New Guinea 1884 establishments in German New Guinea 1914 disestablishments in German New Guinea 1914 establishments in Australia 1975 disestablishments in Australia 1975 establishments in Papua New Guinea Freshwater ecoregions