Bismarck Archipelago

Map of the Bismarck Archipelago
Geography
Location	Papua New Guinea
Coordinates	5°00′S 150°00′E / 5°S 150°E / -5; 150
Major islands	New Britain, New Ireland
Area	49,700 km2 (19,190 sq mi)
Country
Papua New Guinea
Region	Islands Region

The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.

History[link]

The first inhabitants of the archipelago arrived around 33,000 years ago from New Guinea, either by boats across the Bismarck Sea or via a temporary land bridge, created by an uplift in the Earth's crust. Later arrivals included the Lapita people.

The first European to visit these islands was Dutch explorer Willem Schouten in 1616.^[1][2] The islands remained unsettled by western Europeans until they were annexed as part of the German protectorate of German New Guinea in 1884. The area was named in honour of the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck.

On 13 March 1888, a volcano erupted on Ritter Island causing a megatsunami. Almost 100% of the volcano fell in to the ocean leaving a small crater lake.^[3]

Following the outbreak of World War I, the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force seized the islands in 1914 and Australia later received a League of Nations mandate for the islands. They remained under Australian administration — interrupted only by Japanese occupation during World War II — until Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975.

Geography[link]

The Bismarck Archipelago includes mostly volcanic islands with a total land area of 49,700 km² (19,189 sq mi). Islands are grouped here according to administrative province:

Provinces of Papua New Guinea.

• Manus Province (see 9 on the map)
  • Admiralty Islands, group of 18 islands including:
    • Manus Island, main island
    • Los Negros Island
    • Lou Island
    • Ndrova Island
    • Tong Island
    • Baluan Island
    • Pak Island
    • Purdy Islands
    • Rambutyo Island
    • St Andrews Islands
  • Western Islands, with:
    • Aua Island
    • Hermit Islands
    • Kaniet Islands (Anchorite)
      • Sae Island
    • Ninigo Islands
    • Wuvulu Island

• New Ireland Province (12)
  • New Ireland or Niu Ailan, main island
  • New Hanover or Lavongai
  • Saint Matthias Group
  • Tabar Group
  • Lihir Group
  • Tanga Group
  • Feni Islands
  • Dyaul Island

• East New Britain Province (4)
  • New Britain or Niu Briten, main island
  • Duke of York Islands

• West New Britain Province (18)
  • New Britain or Niu Briten, main island
  • Vitu Islands

• Morobe Province (11)
  • Umboi Island
  • Tolokiwa Island
  • Sakar Island
  • Ritter Island
  • Malai Island
  • Tuam Island

• Madang Province (8)
  • Long Island
  • Crown Island
  • Karkar Island
  • Bagabag Island
  • Manam

• East Sepik Province (5)
  • Schouten Islands

The passage of water between the islands of New Britain and New Ireland is called St. George's Channel after St. George's Channel in the British Isles between Wales and Ireland.

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Firth, Stewart (1983). New Guinea Under the Germans. Carlton, Australia: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0-522-84220-8.
• Howe, K. R., Robert C. Kiste, Brij V. Lal, eds. (1994). Tides of History: The Pacific Islands in the Twentieth Century. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-1597-1.
• King, David et al. (1982). Papua New Guinea Atlas: A Nation in Transition. Bathurst, Australia: R. Brown and the University of Papua New Guinea. ISBN 0-909197-14-8.
• Moore, Clive (2003). New Guinea: Crossing Boundaries and History. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-2485-7.
• Ryan, Peter, ed. (1972). Encyclopedia of Papua New Guinea. 3 volumes; Vol I: A - K, maps, black and white illustrations, xv + 588pp. Vol II: l - Z, maps, black and white illustrations, 589-1231pp. Vol III: Index, folding colour map in rear pocket, map, colour illustration, v + 83pp. Carlton, Australia: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 978-0-522-84025-4.

External links[link]

 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bismarck Archipelago". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

• about the provinces

Isaac Johnson (1803–1853) was a U.S. politician and the 12th Governor of the state of Louisiana.

Born on his father's plantation "Troy" near St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish, Johnson was the fourth son of John Hunter Johnson and Thenia Munson. Johnson's grandfather, Isaac Johnson, arrived in the area in the 1770s, and his father had a leading role in the West Florida Rebellion. Later he served as a British officer in Natchez, Mississippi during the English occupation and was a lawyer, planter, parish sheriff and judge, finally settling at Fairview Plantation on Bayou Sara in Louisiana.

Johnson was taught by private tutors early and read law under his father and his uncle Joseph E. Johnson, eventually establishing his own law practice. Johnson married Charlotte McDermott in 1828. He was involved in local Democratic politics and won a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, serving only one term. In 1839, Johnson was appointed a judge in the 3rd Judicial Court.

Nominated by the Democratic Party to run for Governor in 1846, Johnson competed against Whig William De Buys. Johnson won by almost 2,500 votes and assumed the Office of Governor at the age of 43. Louisiana had adopted a new constitution in 1845, but the unsettled nature of some of the provisions filled the Johnson Administration with confusion and turmoil; even his inaugural oath was questioned. In his inaugural speech, Johnson called for moving the state capital from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and stressed the importance of public schools.

During his term, Governor Johnson was outspoken in his views: during the 1846-1848 U.S.-Mexican War Johnson put out a call for volunteers and had a confrontation with the Army Paymaster over maintenance of these volunteers. He announced that the United States should annex all of Mexico. On the expansion of slavery to new territories, Johnson was a champion of State's rights. He denounced the Wilmot Proviso to prohibit slavery in territories. One of the most important accomplishments during Johnson's administration was an act establishing the University of Louisiana, a bill he signed in 1847.

Johnson’s leadership was a disappointment to state Democratic leaders because he appointed Whigs to office and did not advance strict party disciplines. By 1848, he had fallen out of favor, and Democrats who supported home state candidate Zachary Taylor helped carry the state for the Whigs in the 1848 presidential election.

In 1849, the state capitol was moved to Baton Rouge. The following year, Governor Johnson did not run for reelection. His successor, Joseph Marshall Walker, appointed him as Attorney General of Louisiana and he served until his death in 1853.

Verandah Hotel, New Orleans

Governor Johnson died of a heart attack at the Verandah Hotel in New Orleans on March 15 and was buried at Troy Plantation. Two of his sons died of yellow fever later that year.

Sources[link]

• State of Louisiana - Biography
• Cemetery Memorial by La-Cemeteries

v t e Governors of Louisiana State (1812–1861) Claiborne Villeré Robertson Thibodaux H. Johnson Derbigny Beauvais Dupré Roman White Roman Mouton I. Johnson Walker Hébert Wickliffe Moore Confederate (1861–1865) Moore H. Allen Union (1862–1865) Shepley Hahn Reconstruction (1865–1868) Wells Flanders Baker State (since 1868) Warmoth Pinchback J. McEnery Kellogg Nicholls Wiltz S. McEnery Nicholls Foster, Sr. Heard Blanchard Sanders Hall Pleasant Parker Fuqua Simpson H. Long King O. Allen Noe Leche E. Long Jones Davis E. Long Kennon E. Long Davis McKeithen Edwards Treen Edwards Roemer Edwards Foster, Jr. Blanco Jindal