.JPG) Duke of York Islands seen from space | |
 Location of Duke of York Islands | |
  Duke of York Islands | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Melanesia |
| Coordinates | 4°9′47″S152°27′33″E / 4.16306°S 152.45917°E /-4.16306; 152.45917 |
| Archipelago | Bismarck Archipelago |
| Total islands | 13 |
| Major islands | 7 |
| Area | 58 km2 (22 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Papua New Guinea | |
| Province | East New Britain Province |
| LLG | Duke of York Rural LLG |
TheDuke of York Islands (formerly German:Neulauenburg) are a group of islands located inEast New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. They are found in St George's Channel betweenNew Britain andNew Ireland islands and form part of theBismarck Archipelago. The Duke of York Islands were named in 1767 byPhilip Carteret to honourPrince Edward, son ofFrederick, Prince of Wales and younger brother ofGeorge III of the United Kingdom.
In the 1870s and 1880s German commercial firms began to site trading stations inNew Guinea. Agents ofJ. C. Godeffroy & Sohn reached the Bismarck Archipelago from theCaroline Islands in 1872 and had established a trading post on the Islands from 1876.[1]
The wreck ofHMASAE1, lost in 1914 possibly due to a diving accident,[2] was located near these islands in December 2017 after 13 search missions. The submarine was found at a depth of 300 metres (980 ft) and was seen to be well preserved and in one piece.[3] The exact location of the wreck was not announced by the Australian government at the time of discovery, to protect it from "unauthorized salvage attempts". The government's stated position is that the wreck will be treated as a war grave.[4]
The Duke of York islands consist of a total of 13 islands and cover 58 square kilometres (22 sq mi) in area. The largest island of the group isDuke of York Island, and other islands includeMakada,Kabakon,Kerawara,Ulu,Mioko, andMualim.
The island group lies in an active seismic zone, where two tectonic plates push upon each other. Earthquakes and tsunamis are not uncommon for inhabitants of the islands.
The islands are low-lying, and are threatened with inundation due torising sea levels. On 28 November 2000 the evacuation and resettlement of one thousand inhabitants to New Britain was announced.[5]
4°10′00″S152°27′00″E / 4.166667°S 152.45°E /-4.166667; 152.45
Islands ofPapua New Guinea | |
|---|---|
| Bismarck Archipelago | |
| Louisiade Archipelago | |
| North Solomon Islands | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
