DUKE OF YORK ISLANDS

also called Duke of York Group, formerly Neu Lauenburg coral formations of the Bismarck Archipelago in the southwestern Pacific, eastern Papua New Guinea. The Duke of York Islands are situated in St. George's Channel between the islands of New Ireland (east) and New Britain (southwest). The low, wooded islands, which include Duke of York (the largest, 5 miles by 5 miles), Makada, Ulu, Kabakon, Kerawara, and Mioko, have a total land area of 23 square miles (60 square km). They were first sighted in 1767 by the British navigator Philip Carteret. In the 1870s a trading station was opened at Port Hunter, and the area's first Methodist mission was established in 1880. European settlement on the islands expanded and eventually spread to New Britain. Situated above clashing tectonic plates, the Duke of York Islands are prone to natural disturbances. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions are common, and in the late 1990s rising waters began to threaten the group, most notably Duke of York. Studies confirmed that the islands were sinking, and relocation efforts began in 2000, with most of the residents settling in New Britain and New Ireland. Pop. (1990 prelim.) 8,234.