 | |
  Tabar | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Oceania |
| Coordinates | 2°55′S152°01′E / 2.917°S 152.017°E /-2.917; 152.017 |
| Archipelago | Tabar Group |
| Area | 110 km2 (42 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Province | New Ireland Province |
| District | Namatanai District |
| LLG | Sentral Niu Ailan Rural LLG |
| Demographics | |
| Ethnic groups | Tabar people |
Tabar Island is an island of theTabar Group ofPapua New Guinea, located to the east ofNew Ireland. It is inhabited by theTabar people.[1]
Tabar Island is the main island of theTabar Group and forms part of theNew Ireland Province. It is located approximately 900 km (560 mi) north east ofPort Moresby and about 24 km (15 mi) northeast of the province's main islandNew Ireland.
The island is of volcanic origin and has an area of about 110 km2 (42 sq mi) with a length of about 20 km (12 mi) and about 9 km (5.5 mi) wide. The highest altitude is approximately 400 m (1,300 ft) above sea level. Tabar Island is the largest and southernmost island in the archipelago.
The population is mainly divided into a few villages along the coast and the island's interior is covered mostly by rainforest. The main town ofDatava is located on the island's northern part atKoko Bay.
The islands can only be reached by ship as they do not have an airport, the neighboringTatau Island is on the other side of the narrow strait that separates the islands.
The island has been inhabited byMelanesians since about 1500 BC. It was charted by Dutch captainsJacob Le Maire andWillem Corneliszoon Schouten in June 1616 and then named "Gardner Islands". They were later visited byAbel Tasman who then dubbed the area to the "Visser Islands".
The area came under German sovereignty in 1885 as part ofGerman New Guinea. The area was managed initially by theGerman New Guinea Company.
After theFirst World War, the area ended up under Australian control, andAustralia later became officially mandated for the entireBismarck Archipelago by theUnited Nations.
From 1942 to 1945, the area was occupied byJapan, but returned to the Australian government mandate until Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975.
Carl Emil Pettersson, a Swedish sailor who was shipwrecked and landed on the island in 1904, became its king (nicknamed "Strong Charly") after his marriage to the daughter of a local chief after he died.[2]
Islands ofPapua New Guinea | |
|---|---|
| Bismarck Archipelago | |
| Louisiade Archipelago | |
| North Solomon Islands | |
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