Misima

Misima Island

Nickname: St. Aignan Island
Misima Island photo
Misima Island
Geography
Location	Oceania
Coordinates	10°41′S 152°43′E / 10.683°S 152.717°E / -10.683; 152.717Coordinates: 10°41′S 152°43′E / 10.683°S 152.717°E / -10.683; 152.717
Archipelago	Louisiade Archipelago
Adjacent bodies of water	Solomon Sea
Total islands	3
Major islands	Misima Managun Gigira
Area	215 km2 (83 sq mi)
Length	40 km (25 mi)
Width	10 km (6 mi)
Highest elevation	1,036 m (3,399 ft)
Highest point	Mount Koia Tau
Administration
Papua New Guinea
Province	Milne Bay
District	Samarai-Murua District
LLG	Louisiade Rural Local Level Government Area
Island Group	Misima Islands
Largest settlement	Bwagaoia (population 2680)
Demographics
Demonym	Papuan people
Population	19,330 (2014)
Pop. density	89.9 /km2 (232.8 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Papauans, Austronesians, Melanesians.
Additional information
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
Official website	www.ncdc.gov.pg
ISO Code = PG-MBA

Misima (formerly called St. Aignan) is a volcanic island in the northwest of Louisiade Archipelago within Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea.

Misima Island was inhabited by Polynesians since about 1500 BC. The island was sighted in 1768 by French captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville and explored 1793 by French explorer Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux. Misima island owes its name to Élisabeth-Paul-Édouard de Rossel, which was a lieutenant of the Counter admiral Antoine Bruny d'Entrecasteaux during his journey of scientific exploration. In 1888 the British Empire annexed Misima Island, and it became part of British New Guinea (since 1904 - the Territory of Papua administered by Australia).

At the end of the 1890s gold was discovered on Misima. Their actual mining began early in th XX century. Since 1975, Misima belongs to the independent state of Papua New Guinea. A gold and silver mine was opened on the island in 1990, by an international corporation. The mines provided plenty of work for the islanders. however, that mine was officially closed in 2004, because of excessive load on the environment and public health hazards.

The island is within the Samarai Murua District.

The island measures 40 km by 10 km and has an area of 214,5 km². It is located some 20 km north of the northwest extreme of the barrier reef of Vanatinai at Isu Raua Raua Island, and 80 km northwest of Vanatinai Island itself. Misima is mountainous and densely forested. Mt. Koia Tau, at a height of 1,036 meters, is the highest peak of the Louisiade Archipelago. The island itself is of Volcanic Origin and covered with thick vegetation.