Deboyne Islands

The Deboyne Islands are an atoll, composed of a group of reefs and islands in the north of the Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea.

Deboyne Islands

Deboyne Islands Louisiade Archipelago
Geography
Location	Oceania
Coordinates	10°43′S 152°22′E[1]
Archipelago	Louisiade Archipelago
Adjacent bodies of water	Solomon Sea
Total islands	8
Major islands	Panaeati Panapompom
Area	39.14 km^2 (15.11 sq mi)
Highest elevation	213 m (699 ft)
Highest point	Mount Deboyne
Administration
Papua New Guinea
Province	Milne Bay
District	Samarai-Murua District
LLG [2]	Louisiade Rural Local Level Government Area
Island Group	Deboyne Islands
Largest settlement	Bwaganati (pop. 500)
Demographics
Population	2700 (2014)
Pop. density	69/km^2 (179/sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Papauans, Austronesians, Melanesians.
Additional information
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
ISO code	PG-MBA
Official website	www.ncdc.gov.pg

Geography

They are located 13 km (8 mi) from Misima and 5 km (3 mi) from the Torlesse Islands. Islands in the Deboyne Islands include Panaeati (the northernmost), Panapompom, Nivani, Pana Uya Wana, Rara, Losai, Nibub and Passage Island.

History

The Deboyne Islands were discovered in 1793 by Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux. He named the islands after Pierre Étienne Bourgeois de Boynes, who was the Marine and Colonial Minister of France at that time. During World War II, the islands were used as a seaplane outpost by the Imperial Japanese Navy, from 5–12 May 1942.[3]

Population

The settlements in the main island Panaeati are all located on the south coast of the island, facing the lagoon. the language spoken on the islands is Misima-Paneati language.

Economy

Nivani, the small island south of Panapompom, has a small vocational school and slipway. Yachts are regular visitors to the Louisiade Archipelago. Nivani is a favorite anchorage for these yachts, with averages of about 15 yachts a year. A small ecotourist resort was recently built at Nivani that would respect the environment, yet provide business opportunities for the population of Panapompom community. The resort is a success especially with yachtsman, divers and film crews.

See also

• Japanese seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru
• American Deboyne Strike (1942)

References

1. Prostar Sailing Directions 2004 New Guinea Enroute, p. 168
2. "LLG map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-08-11. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
3. HIJMS TATSUTA: Tabular Record of Movement

Bibliography

• Klar, John W. (1989). "Question 56/87". Warship International. XXVI (1): 89–90. ISSN 0043-0374.

External links

• Deboyne Island Information at the Wayback Machine (archived December 23, 2010)