The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 40 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago , to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean . These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands , after the largest island.
23-539: These rainforest-covered islands constitute Manus Province , the smallest and least-populous province of Papua New Guinea , in its Islands Region . The total area is 2,100 km (810 sq mi). The province had a population of 60,485 at the 2011 Census. Many of the smaller Admiralty Islands are atolls and uninhabited. The larger islands in the center of the group are Manus Island and Los Negros Island . The other larger islands are Tong Island , Pak Island , Rambutyo Island , Lou Island , and Baluan Island to
46-510: A distinct culture and extended trade network, collapsed around 2,000 years ago. The first European to visit the islands was the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Saavedra when trying to return from Tidore to New Spain in the summer of 1528. Saavedra charted Manus as Urays la Grande . Its visit was also reported in 1616 by the Dutch navigator Willem Schouten . The name 'Admiralty Islands'
69-664: A separate ecoregion , the Admiralty Islands lowland rain forests . The majority of the forests on Manus still remain, but some of the smaller islands have been cleared for coconut farming. The typical tree species are various Calophyllum and Sararanga species. The 58.5 km (22.6 sq mi) Ndrolowa Wildlife Management Area was created in March 1985 south of Lorengau on Manus Island and contains both terrestrial and marine regions. A further 240 km (93 sq mi) protected area has been established around
92-528: Is Lorengau on Manus, connected by road to an airport on nearby Los Negros Island , otherwise transport around the islands is by boat. There is little tourism, although the seas are attractive to divers, including Jean-Michel Cousteau who spent time on nearby Wuvulu Island in the 1970s. Due to the isolated location, the rain forests of the Admiralty Islands are home to rare and endemic species of birds, bats and other animals, and are considered
115-404: Is 3,382 mm (133 in) and is somewhat seasonal, with June–August being the wettest months. Manus reaches an elevation of 700 m (2,300 ft) and is volcanic in origin and probably broke through the ocean's surface in the late Miocene , 8–10 million years ago. The substrate of the island is either directly volcanic or from uplifted coral limestone. The main town in the islands
138-562: Is a reddish-brown. Its dorsal fur is brown, with some white hairs interspersed. The head and body length is approximately 180 mm (7.1 in); its forearm length is 121 mm (4.8 in); its ear length is 17.5 mm (0.69 in). It is found in several countries in Oceania , including Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea . It is currently evaluated as least concern by the IUCN —its lowest conservation priority. While it
161-575: Is only found in the Manus province; it heralds dawn and signals sunset. NBC Radio Station had changed its name to Maus Bilong Chauka several years earlier. Bulei explained that the colour brown on the flag represents the inland people and the blue represents the island people. The other important symbol on the flag is the green snail, which is unique to Manus Province. Manus Province has a single district, which contains one urban ( Lorengau ) and eleven rural Local Level Government (LLG) areas. Manus District has
184-407: Is thought to occupy Western Province , Guadalcanal , and Malaita Island . The third species is thought to occupy Mussau Island and Emirau Island . It is similar in appearance to the small flying fox , though it is smaller. It is further distinguished by its much smaller ears and the fact that its chest and abdomen are the same color. The top of its head is pale gray, while the back of its neck
207-739: The emerald green snail of Manus was the first terrestrial snail to be listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Along with New Guinea , the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands Archipelago , the Admiralty Islands were first inhabited approximately 40,000 years ago, in the initial wave of migration out of Southeast Asia that also populated Australia . This early society appears to have cultivated taro , and to have deliberately introduced wild animals from New Guinea such as bandicoots and large rats . Obsidian
230-475: The "Challenger" Expedition in 1875. Its species name admiralitum is a Neo-Latin rendering of "admiralty", which is in reference to the Admiralty Islands where this species was first documented. The Admiralty flying fox is possibly a species complex of three species, with one species occupying the Admiralty Islands and the Solomon Islands from Buka Island to Malaita Island . A second species
253-685: The Admiralty Islands became part of Papua New Guinea . They became the Manus Province of the Islands Region in Papua New Guinea. Manus Province Manus Province is the smallest province in Papua New Guinea in terms of both land area and population, with a land area of 2,100 square kilometres (810 sq mi), but with more than 220,000 square kilometres (85,000 sq mi) of water, and
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#1732766162422276-433: The Admiralty Islands include Melanesian megapode ( Megapodius eremita ), yellow-bibbed fruit-dove ( Ptilinopus solomonensis ), yellowish imperial-pigeon ( Ducula subflavescens ), pied cuckoo-dove ( Reinwardtoena browni ), Meek's pygmy parrot ( Micropsitta meeki ), black-headed white-eye ( Zosterops hypoxanthus ) and ebony myzomela ( Myzomela pammelaena ). Mammals found only here or on nearby island groups include
299-571: The battle. After the war, the islands were governed by the Commonwealth of Australia under a League of Nations mandate . Japanese troops landed on Manus Island on 7 April 1942. In 1944, Japanese forces occupying the islands were attacked and defeated by Allied forces in Operation Brewer . Subsequently, a large American airbase and Manus Naval Base was built at Lombrum near Lorengau. Following Papuan independence in 1975,
322-425: The east, Mbuke Island to the south and Bipi Island to the west of Manus Island. Other islands that have been noted as significant places in the history of Manus include Ndrova Island , Pityilu Island and Ponam Island . The temperature of the Admiralty Islands varies little throughout the year, reaching daily highs of 30–32 °C (86–90 °F) and 20–24 °C (68–75 °F) at night. Average annual rainfall
345-647: The first politician from the province to be elected as the Speaker of the Parliament of Papua New Guinea in 2016. Admiralty flying-fox The Admiralty flying fox ( Pteropus admiralitatum ) is a species of fruit bat in the family Pteropodidae , the megabats. It is found in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands . It was described by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas in 1894, based on specimens that were initially collected by
368-775: The highest mountain on Manus, Mount Dremsel, but the level of protection remains undetermined in the UNEP World Database on Protected Areas. Three of the bird species endemic to Admiralty Islands have been listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List : Manus fantail ( Rhipidura semirubra ), superb pitta ( Pitta superba ) and Manus masked owl ( Tyto manusi ). Three other birds are endemic to Admiralty Islands but are classified as non-threatened or least concern: white-naped friarbird ( Philemon albitorques ), Manus monarch ( Monarcha infelix ) and Manus hawk owl ( Ninox meeki ). Birds found mainly but not exclusively on
391-532: The highest number of LLGs of any other district in Papua New Guinea . For census purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units. The province was governed by a decentralised provincial administration, headed by a Premier, from 1977 to 1995. Following reforms taking effect that year, notably the introduction of the Organic Law on Provincial Government and Local Level Government 1995,
414-451: The large fruit bats , Admiralty flying-fox ( Pteropus admiralitatum ), Andersen's naked-backed fruit bat ( Dobsonia anderseni ) and Seri's sheathtail-bat ( Emballonura serii ) while the two pure-endemics are Admiralty Island cuscus ( Spilocuscus kraemeri ) and a local mosaic-tailed rat ( Melomys matambuai ). The islands are home to two endemic Cornufer frogs ( Cornufer admiraltiensis and Cornufer latro ) and four lizards, while
437-540: The national government reassumed some powers, and the role of Premier was replaced by a position of Governor, to be held by the winner of the province-wide seat in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea . The province and each district is represented by a Member of the National Parliament . There is one provincial electorate and each district is an open electorate. Job Pomat as Manus District Open Member, elected into office in 2016, made history as
460-419: The total population is 60,485 (2011 census). The provincial town of Manus is Lorengau . The province consists of only one district (Manus District; with identical boundaries to those of the province), 12 Local Level Governments (LLGs) and 127 Wards . The province is made up of the Admiralty Islands (a group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago ), as well as Wuvulu Island and nearby atolls in
483-536: The west, which collectively are referred to as the Western Islands . The largest island in the group is Manus Island , where Lorengau and a former Australian immigration detention centre are located. The Manus friarbird , known locally as the chauka, is represented on the Manus provincial flag. The designer of the Manus Province flag Luke Bulei explained his reasons for its design in 1977: chauka
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#1732766162422506-675: Was devised by Captain Philip Carteret of the British Royal Navy in 1767. Between 1884 and 1914 the area was administered as a German colony . In November 1914, the islands were occupied by troops of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force landed from the SS Siar . A few shots fired from a machine gun on Siar over the heads of the tiny German garrison at Lorengau were the last shots fired in
529-575: Was gathered and traded throughout the Admiralty Islands archipelago. The Lapita culture arose around 3,500 years ago, and its extent ranged from the Admiralty Islands to Tonga and Samoa . Its origins are contested, but it may well have been a product of another wave of migration from Southeast Asia. Lapita society featured renowned pottery , stilt houses , the introduction of domestic animals such as pigs , dogs , and chickens , and substantial developments in agriculture and boat technology, allowing long-distance trade to develop. Lapita society, as
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