Buka Passage is a narrow

strait A strait is a water body connecting two seas or water basins. The surface water is, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and flows through the strait in both directions, even though the topography generally constricts the ...

that separates

Buka Island Buka Island is the second-largest island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, in eastern Papua New Guinea. It is in Buka Rural LLG of North Bougainville District, with the Autonomous Region's and district's capital city of Buka, Bougai ...

from the northern part of

Bougainville Island Bougainville Island (; Tok Pisin: ''Bogenvil'') is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, which is part of Papua New Guinea. Its land area is . The highest point is Mount Balbi, on the main island, at . The much smaller Buk ...

, within the

Autonomous Region of Bougainville In developmental psychology and morality, moral, political, and bioethics, bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Auto ...

of northeastern

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

History

A number of shipwrecks are located in the passage. Before the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Irish missionary Patrick O'Reilly joined a religious mission to Buka Passage, and began collecting artefacts that helped to preserve Bougainville cultural history. The 1943 aerial photograph to the right shows the Buka Passage between Bougainville and Buka islands. Two Japanese airfields are visible, Buka Airfield (center) and

Bonis Airfield Bonis Airfield was an aerodrome located on the Bonis Peninsula, Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. It was located south of the Buka Passage and Buka Airfield. The airfield was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II ...

(left). Today, Buka Airfield has become Bougainville's major airport, whereas Bonis Airfield has been disused since

References

Straits of Papua New Guinea Geography of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Buka, Papua New Guinea {{Bougainville-geo-stub

History

See also

References