123.252.11.127 at 15:00, 2 August 2024

2024-08-02T15:00:57Z

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{{Short description|Island in Papua New Guinea}}
{{Infobox islands
| name = Parama Island
| image_name = Parama_Island-NASA_World_Wind-143.41528E_9.00250S.png
| image_caption = NASA satellite image (Geocover 2000)
| image_size =
| image_map = TorresStraitIslandsMap.png
| map = Papua New Guinea
| map_caption = Parama Island is off the south coast of Papua New Guinea in the Torres Strait
| native_name =
| native_name_link =
| nickname = Bampton Island
| location = [[Gulf of Papua]]/[[Torres Strait]]/[[Coral Sea]]
| coordinates={{coord|09|00|09|S|143|24|55|E|region:PG-WPD_type:isle}}
| archipelago = Kiwai Islands
| major_islands =
| area_km2 = 36.8
| length_km = 9.6
| width_km = 5.7
| coastline_km = 27.2
| highest_mount = unnamed
| elevation_m = 3
| country = Papua New Guinea
| country_admin_divisions_title = [[Provinces of Papua New Guinea|Province]]
| country_admin_divisions = [[Western Province (Papua New Guinea)|Western Province]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = [[Districts and LLGs of Papua New Guinea|District]]
| country_admin_divisions_1 = [[South Fly District, Western Province|South Fly District]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = [[Districts and LLGs of Papua New Guinea|LLG]]
| country_admin_divisions_2 = [[Kiwai Rural LLG|Kiwai Rural]]
| country_largest_city = Parama village
| country_largest_city_population = 441
| population = 441
| population_as_of = 2000
| density_km2 = 6.5
| ethnic_groups = [[Kiwai language|Kiwai]]
| additional_info =
}}

'''Parama Island''' (formerly '''Bampton Island''') is an island close off the south coast of [[Papua New Guinea]]. It is located 17 km east of [[Daru]], the provincial capital of [[Western Province (Papua New Guinea)]], at the southernmost extreme of the [[Fly River]] delta, and at the northeastern corner of the [[Torres Strait]]. It is the northernmost of the [[Torres Strait Islands]], and at the same time the southernmost of the Fly River delta. Bampton Point, its southernmost point, marks the southwestern corner of the [[Gulf of Papua]]. The [[Coral Sea]] is southeast. Torres Strait is south and southwest, specifically the Great Northeast Channel, which separates Parama Island from the closest [[Australia]]n ([[Queensland]]) island, [[Bramble Cay]], 48 km [[East-southeast|ESE]].

Parama is roughly rectangular in shape, 9.6 km long and up to 5.7 km wide, with a shore length of 27.7 km and an area of 37 km². It is a low, flat, muddy and [[mangrove]] covered island. It is separated from the mainland by Toro Passage, which is 400 to 700 meters wide and seven kilometers long, and 1.8 to 5.5 meters deep.

All of the population of 441 (as of the Census 2000) live in Parama village on the eastern side, facing the Gulf of Papua. The figure for 1991 was 240. Only the area around the village is cultivated. The village is divided into six clan divisions. The clans, which have names of animals, are listed, from north to south (1991):
#Doriomu (Shark, formerly Tebere) (school west outside of clan division)
#Maruadai (Marowadai) (Cassowary) (with church: [[United Church]])
#Hegeredai (Dingo)
#Oromorubi (Dog)
#Miaridai (Crocodile) (with hospital)
#Gaidai (Eagle)

A later list (1995) mentions only five clans, thereby replacing Hegeredai and Oromorubi with ''Sobogu''.

In the southwest of the island is Gaziro (Gasiri), a temporary fishing camp also used by mainlanders.

The fringing reef on the eastern shore in front of the village, the "home reef", is called ''Podomaza''.

Worimo Reef, a drying reef of rocks and sand, over which the sea breaks heavily during the southeast trades, extends eight kilometers [[South-southeast|SSE]] from Bampton Point. It further extends to Merrie England Shoals, with depths of less than two meters. The area of the reef, mostly submerged, is 18.8 km².

Ellengowan Rock, a submerged rock with a depth of only 1.1 meters, is located 11 km east of Parama Island.

{{coord|09|00|09|S|143|24|55|E|display=title|region:PG-WPD_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki}}

First recorded sighting by Europeans of Parama Island was by the Spanish expedition of [[Luís Vaz de Torres|Luís Vaez de Torres]], that landed on it on 5 September 1606.<ref>Hilder, Brett ''The voyage of Torres'', Brisbane, 1980, pp.67,68</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/pollux/pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/SD/pub164/164sec06.pdf Pub. 164, New Guinea, Sector 6, South Coast of Papua New Guinea-Bensbach River to South Cape, National Imagery and Mapping Agency, 2003]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=W88OAAAAQAAJ&dq=%22Parama+Island%22+Torres&pg=PP1 The Geography of Border Landscapes, ed. Dennis Rumley and Julian V. Minghi, Routledge, 1991] {{ISBN|0-415-04825-7}} {{ISBN|978-0-415-04825-5}}
*[http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/projects/Ok-Fly_social_monitoring/Ofsmp09-Lawrence1995-Lower-Fly.pdf Lower Fly Area Study, 1995]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101112052312/http://www.cmar.csiro.au/datacentre/torres/AFMA1980_2003/DVDVer101/Reports/tst_atlas/tst_atlas.htm#pdf Torres Strait Atlas]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Islands of Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Torres Strait Islands]]
[[Category:Western Province (Papua New Guinea)]]

Parama Island - Revision history

123.252.11.127 at 15:00, 2 August 2024