New Hanover Island

New Hanover

New Hanover closeup map
New Hanover Island (Papua New Guinea)
Geography
Coordinates	2°30′S 150°15′E / 2.5°S 150.25°E / -2.5; 150.25
Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago
Area	1,186 km2 (457.9 sq mi)
Length	60 km (37 mi)
Width	30 km (19 mi)
Highest elevation	900 m (3,000 ft)
Country
Papua New Guinea
Province	New Ireland Province
District	Kavieng District
LLG	Lavongai Rural LLG
Demographics
Population	17,160 (as of 2000)
Density	15.4 /km2 (39.9 /sq mi)

New Hanover Island, (German: Neuhannover), also called Lavongai, is a large volcanic island in New Ireland Province, part of the Bismarck Archipelago of the New Guinea Islands region of Papua New Guinea, at 2°30′S 150°15′E / 2.5°S 150.25°E / -2.5; 150.25Coordinates: 2°30′S 150°15′E / 2.5°S 150.25°E / -2.5; 150.25. Measuring some 460 square miles (1,200 km²), it had a population of 5,000 in 1960 which increased to approximately 17,160 by 2000.^[1]

Culture

Friedrich Ratzel in The History of Mankind^[2] reported in 1896, when discussing Melanesain ornament, that there were luxurious feather ornament displays in New Hanover, showing much taste in the combination of forms and colours with vegetable fibres and beads on sticks. An example was a delicately-formed face in feather-mosaic forming the head of a hairpin.

References

1. ^ PNG National Statistical Office: Census Unit Register, 2000
2. ^ Ratzel, Friedrich. The History of Mankind. (London: MacMillan, 1896). URL: www.inquirewithin.biz/history/american_pacific/oceania/melanesian-ornament.htm accessed 21 October 2009.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea

New Hanover seen from space (false color)