Manus Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands and the 5th largest island in PNG, measuring around 100kms x 30kms. It is covered in rugged jungles, and has a highest point of 700 metres above sea level. It has a population of approximately 33,000. The capital of Manus Province, Lorengau is located on Manus Island.
[edit] History
In 1942 Japan established a military base, only to be driven away by the Americans, who arrived in March 1944. A forward base was established to support the British Pacific Fleet.
American anthropologist Margaret Mead lived on Manus before and after the war and detailed the account in the book "Growing up in New Guinea".
The airport is located on an island called "Los Negros" named after the American Negro Soldiers from Los Angeles. A bridge connects Momote Airport and the main land and town Lorengau.
A detention centre was built on Manus Island in 2001 as part of Australia's Pacific Solution. The last inmate was Aladdin Sisalem, who was kept in solitary confinement from July 2003, until he was finally granted asylum in Australia in June 2004.
