Kolombangara

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

The island has 705 km ² and a nearly circular shape of 28-33 km in diameter. It is largely forested and sparsely populated, with 6301 inhabitants (as of the census on November 23, 2009 ). In 1999, the population still 5621st The settlement is confined to a narrow coastal area. Insist on this 32 villages and 43 downstream ( associated ) villages.

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

During the Second World War, the island and the surrounding sea scene of hostilities. The Japanese army took advantage of a landing place on the south coast of the island and in May 1943 the basis for a number of units was under the command of Major General Noboru Sasaki pitched here to build a line of defense by the central Solomon Islands.

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