View source for Bismarck Archipelago

{{Short description|Archipelago in northeast Papua New Guinea}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox islands
| name              = Bismarck Archipelago
| native_name       = 
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| sobriquet         = 
| image_name        = Newbritain lrg.jpg
| image_size        = 
| image_caption     = Satellite view of the islands of New Britain and New Ireland, the two largest in the Bismarck Archipelago
| image_map         = Karta PG Bismarck Archipelago.PNG
| pushpin_map            = 
| pushpin_label          = 
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_map_alt        = 
| pushpin_relief         = 
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| location          = Papua New Guinea
| coordinates       = {{coord|5|00|S|150|06|E|region:PG_type:isle|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago       = 
| total_islands     = 
| major_islands     = [[New Britain]], [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]]
| area_km2          = 49700
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| elevation_m       = 2340
| elevation_footnotes  = 
| highest_mount     = [[Mount Taron]]
| Country_heading   = 
| country           = Papua New Guinea
| country_admin_divisions_title     = [[Regions of Papua New Guinea|Region]]
| country_admin_divisions           = [[Islands Region]]
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The '''Bismarck Archipelago''' ({{Langx|de|Bismarck-Archipel}}, {{IPA|de|ˈbɪsmaʁk ˌaʁçiˈpeːl|pron}}) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of [[New Guinea]] in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the [[Islands Region]] of [[Papua New Guinea]]. Its area is about {{Convert|50,000|km2}}.

==History==
The first inhabitants of the [[archipelago]] arrived around 30,000–40,000 years ago.<ref name="Antiq-Buang">{{cite web |author1=Leavesley, Matthew G. and Chappell, John |title=Buang Merabak: additional early radiocarbon evidence of the colonisation of the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea |url=http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/leavesley301/ |website=Antiquity |publisher=Durham University |access-date=4 March 2018 |archive-date=4 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304173244/http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/leavesley301/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They may have traveled from New Guinea, by boat across the [[Bismarck Sea]] or via a temporary [[land bridge]], created by an uplift in the Earth's [[Crust (geology)|crust]].{{cn|date=March 2018}} Later arrivals included the [[Lapita]] people, the direct ancestors of the [[Austronesian peoples]] of [[Polynesia]], eastern [[Micronesia]], and Island [[Melanesia]].

The first European to visit these islands was Dutch explorer [[Willem Schouten]] in 1616.<ref>Sigmond, J.&nbsp;P. and Zuiderbann, L.&nbsp;H. (1976) ''Dutch Discoveries of Australia'', Rigby, Australia. {{ISBN|0-7270-0800-5}}</ref><ref>Spate, O.&nbsp;H.&nbsp;K. (1979) ''The Spanish Lake'', Australian National University, Second Edition, 2004. {{ISBN|1-920942-17-3}}</ref> The islands remained unsettled by western Europeans until they were annexed as part of the German [[protectorate]] of [[German New Guinea]] in 1884. The area was named in honour of the [[Chancellor of Germany (German Reich)|Chancellor]] [[Otto von Bismarck]].

On [[1888 Ritter Island eruption and tsunami|13 March 1888]], a [[volcano]] erupted on [[Ritter Island]] causing a [[megatsunami]]. Almost the entire volcano fell into the ocean, leaving a small rim of the east side of the original island.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ward |first=Steven N. |author2=Day, Simon |date=September 2003 |title=Ritter Island Volcano —Lateral Collapse and the Tsunami of 1888 |journal=[[Geophysical Journal International]] |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |volume=154 |issue=3 |pages=891 |bibcode=2003GeoJI.154..891W |doi=10.1046/j.1365-246X.2003.02016.x |quote=In the early morning of 1888 March 13, roughly {{convert|5|km3|disp=sqbr|abbr=on}} of Ritter Island Volcano fell violently into the sea northeast of New Guinea. This event, the largest lateral collapse of an island volcano to be recorded in historical time, flung devastating tsunami tens of metres high on to adjacent shores. Several hundred kilometres away, observers on New Guinea chronicled 3-min period waves up to {{convert|8|m|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}} high, that lasted for as long as 3&nbsp;h. These accounts represent the best available first-hand information on tsunami generated by a major volcano lateral collapse. In this article, we simulate the Ritter Island landslide as constrained by a 1985 sonar survey of its debris field and compare predicted tsunami with historical observations. The best agreement occurs for landslides travelling at {{convert|40|m/s|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}, but velocities up to {{convert|80|m/s|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}} cannot be excluded. The Ritter Island debris dropped little more than {{convert|800|m|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}} vertically and moved slowly compared with landslides that descend into deeper water. Basal friction block models predict that slides with shorter falls should attain lower peak velocities and that {{convert|40|m/s||disp=sqbr|abbr=on|adj=pre|+}} is perfectly compatible with the geometry and runout extent of the Ritter Island landslide. The consensus between theory and observation for the Ritter Island waves increases our confidence in the existence of mega-tsunami produced by oceanic volcano collapses two to three orders of magnitude larger in scale. |doi-access=free}}</ref>
[[File:First Wave at Admiralty Islands.jpg|thumb|The first wave of US troops [[Admiralty Islands campaign|lands on Los Negros]], Admiralty Islands, 29 February 1944.]]
Following the outbreak of [[World War&nbsp;I]], the [[Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force]] seized the islands in 1914 and Australia later received a [[League of Nations mandate]] for the islands. They remained under Australian administration—interrupted only by [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] occupation during [[World War&nbsp;II]]—until Papua New Guinea became independent in September 1975.

==Geography==
The Bismarck Archipelago includes mostly [[volcanic island]]s with a total land area of {{cvt|49700|km2|sqmi|0}}. The archipelago surrounds the [[Bismarck Sea]] and sits upon the [[North Bismarck Plate]], the [[Manus Plate]] and the [[South Bismarck Plate]].

Islands are grouped here according to administrative province:

[[File:Bismarck Archipelago within Papua New Guinea provinces (numbers) 2012.png|thumb|right|550px|Islands of the Bismarck Archipelago (shown in red) within the [[Provinces of Papua New Guinea]].]]

* [[Manus Province]] (''see 9 on the map'')
** [[Admiralty Islands]], group of 18 islands including:
*** [[Manus Island]], main island
*** [[Los Negros Island]]
*** [[Lou Island]]
*** [[Ndrova Island]]
*** [[Tong Island, Papua New Guinea|Tong Island]]
*** [[Baluan Island]]
*** [[Pak Island]]
*** [[Purdy Islands]]
*** [[Rambutyo Island]]
*** [[St. Andrews Islands]]
** [[Western Islands, Papua New Guinea|Western Islands]], with:
*** [[Aua Island]]
*** [[Hermit Islands]]
*** [[Kaniet Islands]] (Anchorite)
**** [[Sae Island]]
*** [[Ninigo Islands]]
*** [[Wuvulu Island]]
* [[New Ireland Province]] (12)
** [[New Ireland (island)|New Ireland]] or also Niu Ailan, main island
** [[New Hanover Island|New Hanover]] or Lavongai
** [[St Matthias Islands]]
** [[Tabar Group]]
** [[Lihir Group]]
** [[Tanga Group]]
** [[Feni Islands]]
** [[Dyaul Island]][[File:Sun, Sea, Sand And Volcano.jpg|thumb|[[Rabaul caldera]], New Britain]]
* [[East New Britain]] Province (4)
** [[New Britain]] or also Niu Briten, main island
** [[Duke of York Islands]]
*** [[Duke of York Island, Papua New Guinea|Duke of York Island]]
*** [[Kabakon]]
*** [[Kerawara]]
*** [[Makada]]
*** [[Mioko Island|Mioko]]
*** [[Mualim Island|Mualim]]
*** [[Ulu (island)|Ulu]]
* [[West New Britain]] Province (18)
** [[New Britain]] or also Niu Briten, main island
** [[Vitu Islands]]
* [[Morobe Province]] (11)
** [[Umboi Island]]
** [[Tolokiwa Island]]
** [[Sakar Island]]
** [[Ritter Island]]
** [[Malai Island]]
** [[Tuam Island]]
* [[Madang Province]] (8)
** [[Long Island (Papua New Guinea)|Long Island]]
** [[Crown Island]]
** [[Karkar Island]]
** [[Bagabag (Papua New Guinea)|Bagabag Island]]
** [[Manam]]
* [[East Sepik]] Province (5)
** [[Schouten Islands (Papua New Guinea)|Schouten Islands]]

The passage of water between the islands of New Britain and New Ireland is called ''St. George's Channel'' after [[St. George's Channel]] in the British Isles between Wales and Ireland.

==See also==
{{portal|New Guinea}}
* [[List of islands of Papua New Guinea]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Firth, Stewart (1983). ''New Guinea Under the Germans''. Carlton, Australia: Melbourne University Press. {{ISBN|0-522-84220-8}}.
* 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. {{ISBN|0-8248-1597-1}}.
* King, David ''et al.'' (1982). ''Papua New Guinea Atlas: A Nation in Transition''. Bathurst, Australia: R. Brown and the University of Papua New Guinea. {{ISBN|0-909197-14-8}}.
* Moore, Clive (2003). ''New Guinea: Crossing Boundaries and History''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. {{ISBN|0-8248-2485-7}}.
* 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. {{ISBN|978-0-522-84025-4}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bismarck Archipelago}}
* {{Cite EB1911 |short=x |wstitle=Bismarck Archipelago}}
* {{Cite NSRW |short=x |wstitle=Bismarck Archipelago}}

{{Islands of Papua New Guinea}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bismarck Archipelago| ]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Islands Region (Papua New Guinea)]]
[[Category:Bismarck Sea]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Oceania]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Lists of islands of Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:1884 establishments in German New Guinea]]
[[Category:1914 disestablishments in German New Guinea]]
[[Category:1914 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1975 disestablishments in Australia]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Freshwater ecoregions]]