Mono (island)
| Mono | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Solomon Lake | |
| Archipelago | Treasury Islands | |
| Geographical location | 7 ° 22 ′ S , 155 ° 34 ′ E | |
|
||
| length | 16 km | |
| width | 7.5 km | |
| surface | 96 km² | |
| Highest elevation | 355 m | |
| Residents | 631 (2009) 6.6 inhabitants / km² |
|
| main place | Falamae | |
Mono is the largest island in the West Pacific Treasury Islands . It is located in the far west of the western province of the island state of Solomon Islands and includes its westernmost land mass.
geography
The island of volcanic origin is almost circular, has an area of about 96 km² and is densely forested. Falamae on the south coast is the largest site on Mono.
Immediately off the south coast is the coral island of Stirling , the second largest of the Treasury Islands.
history
The Treasury Islands were discovered for Europe in 1788 by Royal Navy Captain John Shortland (the Elder).
At the beginning of 1942, Mono and Stirling were occupied by Japanese troops during World War II , which were only liberated in October 1943 after fierce fighting for the capture of the islands. A brigade of the New Zealand 3rd Division landed on October 27, 1943 during the first amphibious operation to Gallipoli in the north of Mono on Purple Beach near Soantaly. A construction battalion of the US Navy landed on the same day in the south near the Japanese headquarters in Falamae. The operation was completed on November 7, 1943, so that a strategically important air runway could then be built on Stirling.
The earthquake of April 1, 2007 and the tsunami that followed caused considerable damage to homes and schools. Three people were missing.
tourism
Cruise ships call at Mono from time to time . The uninhabited flat island of Stirling is a popular diving destination, also because of the remnants of World War II in the ocean.
Web links
- History (Second World War) ( Memento from January 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) geocities.com