Tag: New Britain

New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago (named after Otto von Bismarck) of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George’s Channel. The main towns of New Britain are Rabaul/Kokopo and Kimbe.
While the island was part of German New Guinea, it was named Neupommern (“New Pomerania”).
New Britain extends from 148°18’31” to 152°23’57” E. longitude and from 4°08’25” to 6°18’31” S. latitude. It is crescent-shaped, approximately 520 km (320 mi) along its southeastern coastline, and from 29 to 146 km (18–91 miles) wide, not including a small central peninsula. The air-line distance from west to east is 477 km (296 mi). The island is the 38th largest in the world, with an area of 36,520 km (14,100 sq mi).
Steep cliffs form some sections of the coastline; in others the mountains are further inland, and the coastal area is flat and bordered by coral reefs. The highest point…