Misima Island

Misima Island

Nickname: St. Aignan Island
Misima Island photo
Louisiade Archipelago
Geography
Location	Oceania
Coordinates
Archipelago	Louisiade Archipelago
Adjacent bodies of water	Solomon Sea
Total islands	3
Major islands	Misima Managun Gigira
Area
Length	40 km (25 mi)
Width	10 km (6 mi)
Highest elevation	1,036 m (3,399 ft)
Highest point	Mount Koia Tau
Sovereign state
Papua New Guinea
Province	Milne Bay
District	Samarai-Murua District
LLG	Louisiade Rural Local Level Government Area
Island Group	Misima Islands
Largest settlement	Bwagaoia (population 2680)
Demographics
Demonym	Papuan people
Population	19,330 (as of 2014)
Density	89.9 /km2 (232.8 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Papauans, Austronesians, Melanesians.
Additional information
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
Official website	www.ncdc.gov.pg
ISO Code = PG-MBA

Location within Louisiade Archipelago

File:Misima Island.png

Misima Island from space

File:Misima Mine.png

Misima Mine and Bwagaoia from space

Misima (formerly called St. Aignan) is a volcanic island in the northwest of Louisiade Archipelago within Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

History

Misima Island was inhabited by Polynesians since about 1500 BC. The island was sighted in 1768 by French captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville and explored 1793 by French explorer Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux. Misima island owes its name to Élisabeth-Paul-Édouard de Rossel, which was a lieutenant of the Counter admiral Antoine Bruny d'Entrecasteaux during his journey of scientific exploration. In 1888 the British Empire annexed Misima Island, and it became part of British New Guinea (since 1904 - the Territory of Papua administered by Australia).

At the end of the 1890s gold was discovered on Misima. Their actual mining began early in th XX century. Since 1975, Misima belongs to the independent state of Papua New Guinea. A gold and silver mine was opened on the island in 1990, by an international corporation. The mines provided plenty of work for the islanders. however, that mine was officially closed in 2004, because of excessive load on the environment and public health hazards.

Politics

The island is within the Samarai Murua District.

Geography

The island measures 40 km by 10 km and has an area of 214,5 km². It is located some 20 km north of the northwest extreme of the barrier reef of Vanatinai at Isu Raua Raua Island, and 80 km northwest of Vanatinai Island itself. Misima is mountainous and densely forested. Mt. Koia Tau, at a height of 1,036 meters, is the highest peak of the Louisiade Archipelago. The island itself is of Volcanic Origin and covered with thick vegetation.

Climate

The local climate is tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds, with a dry season from 1 December to 31 May, and a wet season from 1 June to 30 November. it is usually very humid. Since it is fairly close to the equator, the temperature does not fluctuate much between winter and summer.

Economy

Misima island is known as a mining island. A huge mine operated many years on the island. The mine was a joint venture by Placer Dome Inc (owning 80%) and the state-owned Orogen Minerals Ltd. In March 2012 Barrick closed its post closure monitoring office in Bwagaoia having successfully rehabilitated the mine and mill sites.

Since 2004 when the mine closed, artisanal mining has become a major source of income in the island, with an association Misima Alluvial Gold Mining Association (MAGMA) starting in 2007. Other sources of income, especially for people living on the north coast, are cash crops of coconuts, copra, and cacao. A commercial fisheries project has been proposed, but has not been developed yet.

Demographics

The island has a populatioin of 19,330, spread across 78 villages, Misima is the most heavily populated island in the Louisiade Archipelago. By area, it is the third largest, after Vanatinai and Rossel Island. Since the mines have closed, there are signs of population decrease. people are moving to Alotau for jobs.

Urbanization

The main town of the island and the seat of the district is Bwagaoia, located on the southeast corner of the island. Other villages are Hinauta, Boiou, Gulewa, Bagilina, Liak, Siagara, Eiaus (on the eastern north coast, reachable by road from Bwagaoia), Gulewa and Ewena (on the western north coast), and Bwagabwaga, Gaibobo and Alhoga (on the south coast).

Cities

1.305728181572548

Village Name	Ward	Population	Coordinates
Bwagaoia	03 Bwagaoia	2680
Balmatana	30 Baimatana	323
Hinauta	04 Hinauta	509
Lobwa	31 Lobwa	285
Gigig	05 Kaubwaga	627
Kaubwaga	05 Kaubwaga	504
Boiou	06 Boiou	640
Ginul	06 Boiou	262
Hopitkahin	07 Siagara East	862
Kalotawa	08 Siagara West	1024
Gulewa	09 Gulewa	768
Kakamwa	09 Gulewa	329
Liak	10 Liak	1523
Bagilina	12 Bagilina	636
Lalama	12 Bagilina	578
Ewena	13 Ewena	516
Ebora	14 Ebora	679
Bwana	32 Bwana	138
Bwagabwaga	15 Bwagabwaga	535
Gigimwani	16 Awaibi	501
Awaibi	16 Awaibi	252
Bwaeyam	16 Awaibi	264
Alhoga	17 Alhoga	379
Lohola	17 Alhoga	300
Mwana (Tribes of Eaus River)	18 Eaus North	888
Eaus (Palapa)	19 Eaus South	980
Abalouna	19 Eaus South	564
Quartz Mountain (Misima mines)	02 Narian	222
Narian	02 Narian	836
Gaibobo	20 Gaibobo	731

Religion

About half the population identified themselves as members of a Christian church. see Religion in Papua New Guinea for more info.

Language

The main language of the island is also called Misiman, though many residents speak English and also Tok Pisin as a third language.

Transportation

Misima has a working airport (IATA: MIS, ICAO: AYMM) (four flights weekly to the mainland (POM via Alotau) through Airlines of Papua New Guinea, and one charter run by Porgera Joint Venture, a high school (grades 7-10), a small market, a few small stores and a clinic/hospital, a post office,--all of which are located in Bwagaoia. There are ferries from Alotau which service Misima Island, costing around K100 and taking 17 hours.

Flora and Fauna

The following mammals are there for:

• Polynesian rat(introduced)
• Wild boar(introduced)
• Eastern common cuscus
• Sugar glider
• Grassland rat
• Eastern rat
• Panniet naked-backed fruit bat
• Island tube-nosed fruit bat
• Small flying fox
• Common blossom bat
• Temminck's trident bat
• Spurred roundleaf bat
• Fawn leaf-nosed bat
• Diadem leaf-nosed bat
• Smaller horseshoe bat
• Misima bat
• Little bent-wing bat
• Miniopterus macrocneme
• Great bent-winged bat
• Common bent-wing bat
• Angulate pipistrelle

External links

• Article of the mine from mining-technology.com
• Image of the gold mine from mining-technology.com
• Mine Report
• Misima Island News at MisimaIsland.com
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