Kolombangara

Kolombangara
	Kolombangara satellite image
Waters	Pacific Ocean
Archipelago	New Georgia Archipelago
Geographical location	7 ° 58 ′ S , 157 ° 4 ′ E Coordinates: 7 ° 58 ′ S , 157 ° 4 ′ E
length	34.2 km
width	27.3 km
surface	705 km²
Highest elevation	Mount Veve ; 1770 m
Residents	6301 (23 November 2009) ; 8.9 inhabitants / km²
main place	Ringgi
	Map of the New Georgia archipelago , which also includes Kolombangara

Kolombangara is the second largest island of the Solomon Islands belonging to New Georgia archipelago and a non-active volcano .

The island has 705 km² and an almost circular shape with a diameter of 28–33 km. It is largely forested and only sparsely populated with 6301 inhabitants (as of the census on November 23, 2009). In 1999 the population was 5621. Settlement is limited to a narrow coastal area. On this there are 32 villages and 43 subordinate ( associated ) villages.

Geologically, the island is a stratovolcano that reaches a height of 1,770 m.

During the Second World War , the island and the surrounding sea were the scene of fighting. The Japanese army used a landing pad on the south coast of the island and in May 1943 , under the command of Major General Noboru Sasaki , the base for several units was set up here to build a line of defense through the central Solomon Islands.

The Battle of the Kula Gulf and the Battle of Kolombangara took place in the sea around Kolombangara . In the summer of 1943, the US Army approached the island via Vella Lavella and the Japanese army evacuated Kolombangara between September 23 and October 4, 1943.