Bougainville & Buka

Bougainville is the largest of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific. It has an estimated population of 190,000, almost all of whom are melanesian with 21 different languages. It is approx. 190 kms long and 60 kms wide, rising to 2743m at Mt Balbi. It is mostly covered in tropical rainforest with cleared areas for villages, towns, gardens, plantations, and mining. It is rich in natural resources.

Little has been documented about the early history of the island with archeologocal evidence suggesting habitation between 28 to 30 thousand years. French navigator, Louis-Antoine de Bougainville sailed close to the island in 1768 during a scientific voyage of exploration commisioned by the French government. Later, Napolean 1 named the island after Bougainville as well as the Bougainville Strait and the South American shrub bougainvillea. Another name now being used in some parts of Bougainville is Me'ekamui which means "God's chosen island".