Kokopo | |
|---|---|
 Satellite image | |
  Kokopo Location within New Britain and Ireland | |
| Coordinates:4°21′00″S152°16′25″E / 4.35000°S 152.27361°E /-4.35000; 152.27361 | |
| Country |  Papua New Guinea |
| Province | East New Britain |
| District | Kokopo District |
| LLG | Kokopo/Vunamami Urban |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population (2000) | |
• Total | 20,262 |
| • Rank | 8th |
| Languages | |
| • Main languages | Kuanua,Tok Pisin, English |
| Time zone | UTC+10 (AEST) |
| Location | 20 km (12 mi) fromRabaul |
| Mean max temp | 31.0 °C (87.8 °F) |
| Mean min temp | 23.3 °C (73.9 °F) |
| Annual rainfall | 2,003 mm (78.86 in) |
| Climate | Af |
Kokopo is the capital ofEast New Britain Province inPapua New Guinea. It is administered underKokopo/Vunamami Urban LLG. The capital was moved fromRabaul in 1994 when thevolcanoesTavurvur andVulcan erupted. As a result, the population of the town increased more than sixfold from 3,150 in 1990 to 20,262 in 2000.[1]
Kokopo was known asHerbertshöhe (Herbert's Heights), named in honour ofHerbert, eldest son of German ChancellorOtto von Bismarck, during theGerman New Guinea administration, which controlled the area between 1884 and formally until 1919. Until 1910, it was the capital of German New Guinea.
On Sunday, March 29, 2015, a strong earthquake, of a preliminary magnitude of at least 7.5, which at that time was the largestearthquake of 2015, was recorded near Kokopo, and a tsunami warning was issued. This was surpassed a month later by theApril 2015 Nepal earthquake, which measured a magnitude 7.8.
In 2015, a research and conservation project was suggested to study and protectspinner dolphins[2] living around Kokopo beach, as this population may be threatened if construction of a new port for larger shipping lanes is initiated.[3]
The remains of the former capital Rabaul are located some 20 km (12 mi) to the north-west of Kokopo, when using the Kokopo-Rabaul Highway. There are around 4,000 inhabitants in Rabaul, down from over 17,000 before the latest volcanic eruption.
Rabaul Airport (also called "Tokua Airport"), one of Papua New Guinea's largest domestic airports, is located a few kilometres east of Kokopo.
Kokopo has atropical rainforest climate (KöppenAf) with heavy rainfall and hot temperatures year-round.
| Climate data for Kokopo | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.6 (87.1) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.7 (87.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.5 (79.7) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.0 (80.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.3 (74.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 185 (7.3) | 188 (7.4) | 209 (8.2) | 191 (7.5) | 124 (4.9) | 139 (5.5) | 167 (6.6) | 154 (6.1) | 130 (5.1) | 127 (5.0) | 156 (6.1) | 217 (8.5) | 1,987 (78.2) |
| Source:[4] | |||||||||||||
ThePapua New Guinea Hunters (PNG Hunters) are arugby league football club based in Kokopo. They were established in 2013 and currently compete in theQRL'sIntrust Super Cup.[5] The Hunters' home ground isKalabond Oval in Kokopo and their team colours are red, black and gold.[6]
Provincial capitals ofPapua New Guinea | ||
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