New Georgia
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Image:New georgia pol89.jpg Image:NewGeorgiaGroupCloseup.png New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It is in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province. About 72 km long, it forms part of the southern boundary of the New Georgia Sound; Kolombangara lies across the Kula Gulf to the west, Vangunu is to the east, and Rendova to the south, across the Blanche Channel.
The island is rugged and heavily forested.
History
In World War II, the US's New Georgia Campaign opened with landings on New Georgia and nearby islands, 30 June 1943; New Georgia was secured by American forces on 23 August, after weeks of difficult jungle operations, although fighting continued on nearby islands until October.
Munda, the Japanese base on New Georgia Island was the main objective of the assault on the island. This base was not taken until August 5, 1943. The Japanese facilities at Bairoko Harbor, 13 km north of Munda, were not taken until August 25th.
Languages
The languages spoken on the island are from the family of New Georgia languages, a subgroup of the South New Ireland-Northwest Solomonic branch of the Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages. The group consists of ten languages spoken on New Georgia Island, divided into eastern and western subgroups.