Samarai Islands

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Samarai Islands

Geography
Coordinates	11°12′S 153°00′E / 11.200°S 153.000°E / -11.200; 153.000
Archipelago	Louisiade Archipelago
Total islands	50
Major islands	5
Area	262.1 km2 (101.2 sq mi)
Administration
Papua New Guinea
Province	Milne Bay Province
Capital city	Samarai
Largest settlement	Samarai (pop. 460)
Demographics
Population	8200 (2014)

The Samarai Islands archipelago, part of the larger Louisiade Archipelago, is located 50 kilometres (31 mi) southeast of mainland New Guinea island, within the nation of Papua New Guinea.

Geography

The archipelago consists of: 4 larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs; and 30 smaller coral islands.

The islands stretch over more than 50 kilometres (31 mi), and spread over an ocean area of 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi), between the Solomon Sea to the north and the Coral Sea to the south. The aggregate land area of the islands is about 262.1 square kilometres (101.2 sq mi), with Basilaki Island being the largest.

History

Malay and Chinese sailors may have visited the islands before European explorers. The islands most likely first sighted by Europeans in 1606, by

• Bwanabwana language
• Archipelagoes of Papua New Guinea

References

External links

• Milne Bay Province Polling list with place names (2007)^{[permanent dead link]}
• Eusoils.jrc.it: Detailed geology/soils map (1:1.000.000)
• Louisiades.net: Information and advice for yachts and travellers visiting the Louisiades−Samarai Islands^{[dead link]}

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louisiade Archipelago.