Island (pop., 1999 est.: 181,321), Papua New Guinea.
The largest of the Solomon Islands, near the northern end of that chain, it has a land area of about 3,600 sq mi (8,500 sq km). The Emperor Range, with its highest peak at Balbi (9,000 ft [2,743 m]), occupies the northern half of the island, while the Crown Prince Range occupies the southern half. It was visited by Louis-Antoine de Bougainville in 1768, and it came under German control in the late 19th century. After World War I it was included in an Australian mandate. Following World War II it was made part of the UN Trust Territory of New Guinea, and it passed to Papua New Guinea when that country became independent in 1975. A treaty signed in 2001 promised autonomy to the island.