RABAUL

chief town of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, in the southwestern Pacific. It is situated on Simpson Harbour, part of Blanche Bay, on the Gazelle Peninsula. The town, founded in 1910 as a German colonial headquarters, was the capital (192141) of the Australian-administered Territory of New Guinea mandated by the League of Nations. Occupied by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945, Rabaul was destroyed by Allied bombing; it was rebuilt after 1950. Natural disturbances also have had a devastating impact on the town. Located above unstable tectonic plates, it frequently experiences earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Surrounded by a number of volcanoes, including The Mother, North and South Daughters, Vulcan Crater (on Manam Island, now joined to the main coast, with a racecourse at its base), and Matupi Crater (Mount Tavurvur), Rabaul was evacuated in 1937 following the violent eruption of Vulcan and Matupi craters; the capital was subsequently transferred to Lae. The craters erupted again in 1994, burying the town under volcanic ash; much of the extensive damage was repaired by the late 1990s. Commercial activities in Rabaul centre on the harbour, through which such products as copra, cocoa, and coconut oil are exported. Rabaul also has some light manufactures, including furniture, cement pipes, prefabricated steel buildings, and bricks. Namanula Hill, behind the town, is the site of government buildings. Rabaul has good communications, including radio transmissions, and has an international airport. Pop. (1980) 14,954; (1990 prelim.) 17,022.