Lihir Island
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| Lihir Island / Niolam Island | |
|---|---|
 NASA Space Shuttle image of Lihir Island. |
|
| Elevation | 700 m (2,300 ft) |
| Location | Papua New Guinea |
| Prominence | 700 m (2,300 ft) |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Stratovolcano complex |
Lihir Island (officially Niolam Island) is the largest island in the Lihir group of islands, 22 km wide and 14.5 km long, in Papua New Guinea's New Ireland Province. It consists of a complex of several overlapping basaltic stratovolcanoes rising 700m above sea level. While the volcanoes are not currently active, geothermal activity is still present.
The Island is located 900 km NE of Port Moresby. Annual rainfall averages 4800mm per annum, temperature ranges between 19 and 35 degrees Celsius. Population estimates for the Lihir Group range from 14,000 to 8,000 with between 8000 and 5000 estimated to be living on "Lihir Island". Residents are of Melanesian descent and have a primitive subsistence lifestyle.
Lihirians still follow traditional belief systems, although official census records claim that overall 2/3 of the PNG population are Christians with Catholicism being the largest denomination. Churches exist in every village on the Island. The villages are all located on the coastal fringe, although it is thought that originally some villages were located inland but were moved to the coast at the encouragement of missionaries.
Lihir island is home to one of the last remaining "cargo cults" on earth. These locals believe that the former American president, Lyndon B. Johnson, will soon return to the Island bringing white goods and other consumer durables and generally bring about changes to enhance the Island.
It is said that the belief has its genesis in meetings between American WWII servicemen and Island inhabitants. It is thought by "cult members" that the kindness shown to the Lihirians by the American servicemen would be repeated by the Americans' then leader at some time in the future.
The economic focal point of the Island is the Lihir Gold Mine. The mine is operated by Lihir Gold Limited, an international public company. The mine holds one of the world's largest gold reserves (40 million ounces).
The mine is located on a geothermically active area and to enable the mine to proceed, holes have been drilled into the ground to release subterranean pressure. These gases have been, in part, captured and are used to operate a 56mw geothermal power station which generates 75% of the mine's power requirements. It is proposed to extend the capacity of the plant so that the entire mine (and Island) will be run on geothermal power.
The largest settlement on the Island is Londolovit, where most of the expatriate mine employees live. Basic shopping and health care facilities are located here. The medical centre has inpatient and outpatient facilities and provides health care services to both the expatriate and local communities.
An airstrip large enough to land a small jet is also located at Kunaye.
As is the case in many tropical regions, mosquito borne viruses are present on the island, predominantly malaria.
Land ownership follows traditional models with land being owned by generations of clans. Insofar as it relates to land ownership, the society is matriarchal with land being passed though the female generations. The land cannot be sold; however, usage rights can be granted.
The currency is the Papua New Guinean kina.
[edit] References
- Global Volcanism Program: Lihir
- Lihir mine information
- A Case Study on Indigenous People, Extractive Industries and the World Bank. Papua New Guinea.
[edit] External links
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