Owaraha

Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / image missing

Owaraha, also Owa Raha and earlier Santa Ana is an island in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific.

Geography

Owaraha belongs to the province of Makira and Ulawa the island Republic of Solomon Islands. The coral island is 5.6 km long and up to 4.5 km wide. It is from the island of Makira (formerly San Cristobal or San Crist Oval) separated by about 7.5 km wide arm of the Pacific. 2.8 km south of Owaraha is the smaller island Owariki (Santa Catalina ). In between is the Paraghawa Strait. The main towns on the island are Gupuna (or Ghupuna called ) and Nafinotoga. The geographical location is S 10 ° 9'42 " E and 162 ° 27'49 ".

The highest elevation on the Faraina Owaraha is 143 m above sea level. In the middle of the island there are two brackish lakes: Wairafa with the dimensions of 1600 × 700 m and 300 m × 400 Waipiapia with.

History

Owaraha was settled around 1280 BC according to the findings in two caves in rate and Feru. 1568 discovered the Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendaña de Neyra, who should find from Peru terra australis, the island of the European world.

Population

The residents of Owaraha speak the Owa - language (ISO 639-3: stn ), which is also spoken on Owariki and in the eastern part of Makira, for example, in Star Harbour. This is sometimes referred to as Kahua.

1932 visited the Austrian anthropologist and photographer Hugo Bernatzik the island. During his stay, documented and photographed Bernatzik the daily lives of residents. He was convinced that the culture is documented by him condemned by the meeting with the Western world to destruction. 1936 his book Owa Raha has been published.

Heinrich Küper

Heinrich Küper was a German adventurer who had settled in the village Gupuna beginning of the 20th century. There he had his native woman, Kafagamurirongo, married, who came from a distinguished family. Over the years Küper won a high reputation and was awarded thus far the only Weisser with the honorary title of Arafa. Bernatzik Küper met during his stay. The descendants of Arafa still live on Owaraha.

Tourism

In the south of Owaraha there is a dirt landing strip. The IATA identifier is NNB, which is AGGT ICAO. The " port " for motorized canoe from the capital of the neighboring island of Makira, Kirakira is that Mary Bay, which can be achieved by up to 4 hours continuous crossing.

In Wataghera there are two ancestral houses where the mortal remains of the dead are kept for 500 years. Photography is there not normally permitted, women are not allowed in the houses.

Souvenirs from the island are wooden bowls that are modeled in the form of sharks.