NEW IRELAND

island of the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. The island, lying just north of New Britain, from which it is separated by St. George's Channel, stretches for about 220 miles (350 km) from northwest to southeast but is very narrow, with the southeastern portion only 30 miles (48 km) wide and the 150-mile (241-kilometre) northwestern arm no broader than 15 miles (24 km) and as narrow as 5 miles (8 km). It is generally rugged, especially in the south, where the Rossel Mountains rise to more than 7,050 feet (2,150 m), and in the north, where the Schleinitz Range reaches 4,859 feet (1,481 m). Limestone highlands occupy much of the northwest, the Lelet Plateau averaging 2,000 feet (610 m) in elevation. Lihir island and Ambitle on New Ireland show solfataric and hot-spring activity, but there are no active volcanoes. There is a fringe of coastal plain leached by centuries of bush burning, and there are few good harbours. New Ireland was sighted in 1616 by the Dutch navigator Jakob Le Maire, who believed it was part of a landmass including New Britain and New Guinea. This theory was disproved when Philip Carteret found St. George's Channel in 1767 and named the island Nova Hibernia (New Ireland). An unsuccessful settlement attempt was made in 1880. Annexed by Germany in 1884, it was renamed New Mecklenburg. After World War I the island was mandated to Australia. Occupied by the Japanese in 1942, it became part of the UN Trust Territory of New Guinea, administered by Australia, after World War II. When Papua New Guinea achieved independence in 1975, it became part of that country. Commercial development is dominated by copra production, particularly on the east coast of New Ireland. Most of the inhabitants live in the north. This section is administered from Kavieng, the chief port, which is linked by an east-coast road to Samo. The southern portion is administered from Namatanai. The island of New Ireland has an area of 3,340 square miles (8,651 square km); the province, which includes Lavongai (New Hanover), the St. Matthias, Tabar, Lihir, Tanga, and Feni island groups, and Djaul Island, has an area of 3,700 square miles (9,600 square km). Pop. (1987 est.) province, 78,900.