Content Starts Here
New Britain (island)
Encyclopaedia Search
New Britain (island)
Largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of Papua New Guinea; capital Rabaul; population (2000) East New Britain 220,100; West New Britain 184,500. It has an area of 37,800 sq km/14,600 sq mi, an average width of 80 km/50 mi and is 482 km/300 mi long. The highest mountain is Mount Sinewit, 2,438 m/7,999 ft. Copra is the chief product; coffee, cocoa, palm oil, timber, and iron are also produced. Gold, copper, and coal are mined. The population is Melanesian.
Two volcanoes erupted in September 1994, covering Rabaul in ash and mud. There were no deaths, largely because of a volcano monitoring programme which detected the pending eruption; over 30,000 people were evacuated from the area. There was a previous eruption in 1937.
© Research Machines plc 2008. All rights reserved. Helicon Publishing is a division of Research Machines plc.
Advertisement starts
Advertisement ends
Related Links
Monaco Flag
The flag's colours date back to the 14th century. The bicolour is identical to that of Indonesia except in its ratio. Effective date: 4 April 1881.
>>
Advertorial
Find out how to buy the things you've always wanted and sell the things you don't on ebay.
Font size
Mail
My account
Help
Community
Print now
Send to a friend
Related articles
Related products
