MISIMA ISLAND

also called Saint Aignan, volcanic island of the Louisiade Archipelago in Papua New Guinea. It is situated 125 miles (200 km) southeast of the island of New Guinea in the southwestern Pacific. The island measures 25 miles by 67 miles (40 by 1011 km) and has a total land area of 100 square miles (260 square km). The terrain is mountainous, rising to 3,400 feet (1,050 m) at Mount Oiatau. The site of gold discoveries in the late 1890s and of gold mining in the early 20th century, Misima now produces some copra. The largest settlement on the island is Bwagaoia, in the southeast. Pop. (1980 prelim.) 7,230.