CHOISEUL

island in the western Solomon Islands, southwestern Pacific Ocean, 30 miles (50 km) southeast of Bougainville across the Bougainville Strait. It is 83 miles (134 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) across at its widest point, largely surrounded by barrier reefs, mountainous (culminating in Mount Maitabo [3,500 feet, or 1,067 m]), and densely wooded. The main coastal settlement is Sasamungga. Copra is the chief product; subsistence crops include taros, sweet potatoes, and yams. In World War II, the Japanese thrusting southward from New Guinea invaded Choiseul (1942) and occupied the northern segment until their surrender in 1945. Pop. (1986) 12,549.