Bougainville Island

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Bougainville Island is part of Papua New Guinea. Geographically, Bougainville is included in the chain of islands known as the Solomon Islands in Melanesia. Bougainville, the adjacent island of Buka, and assorted outlying islands including the Carterets are sometimes known as the North Solomons. Bougainville is included in the Solomon Islands rain forests ecoregion. The nation of Solomon Islands is a separate state.

Together they make up the Papua New Guinean (PNG) Bougainville Province. The population of the province is 175,160 (2000 census).

In the 1970s, Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto) began exploiting the island's huge copper reserves. Resentment over the negative effects of the company's activities on the area and the lack of any tangible benefit to the islanders erupted into conflict in the 1990s. Attempts at proclaiming the independence of Bougainville (Republic of North Solomons) have occurred twice: in 1975 and 1990. In the second case the government of Papua New Guinea moved to put down what became a secessionist movement led by Francis Ona, a former surveyor for BCL. The PNG army received military aid from Australia and enlisted the support of Sandline International, a mercenary firm. The island was embargoed to weaken its people's resistance. However, they proved much more resilient than expected, designing their own weapons and converting engines to vegetable oil. Peace talks brokered by New Zealand began in 1997, leading to autonomy for the island.

Bougainville and its 1990s struggle for independence is the setting for the 2007 novel Mister Pip, by New Zealand author Lloyd Jones.

Louis Antoine de Bougainville named the island after himself.

A documentary about the struggle of the indigenous population to save their island from environmental destruction and gain independence, was made in 1999, called Coconut Revolution.

History

Language

The indigenous language of Bougainville is Rotokas, which has the world's shortest recorded alphabet at eleven letters.

Bougainville Island

History

Language

See also

References

Further reading