Merig

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Merig
Island
Location of Merig in Banks Islands
Merig
Location in Vanuatu
Coordinates: 14°19′S 167°48′E / 14.317°S 167.800°E / -14.317; 167.800Coordinates: 14°19′S 167°48′E / 14.317°S 167.800°E / -14.317; 167.800
Country  Vanuatu
Province Torba Province
Population (2009)
  Total 12
Time zone VUT (UTC+11)

Merig is a small island located 20 km east of Gaua, in the Banks Islands of northern Vanuatu.

The island is about 800 meters wide, and has a circumference of 2.2 km.

History

The first recorded sighting of Merig Island by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 25 April 1606.[1] It was then named Île Sainte Claire.

Population

Merig is only inhabited by one household, consisting of 12 individuals.[2]

They speak Mwerlap,[3] the language of the neighbouring island Merelava.

References

  1. Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands Oxford, 1960, p.65.
  2. 2009 National Census of Population and Housing: Summary Release (PDF). Vanuatu National Statistics Office. 2009. Retrieved October 11, 2010. 
  3. Languages of the Banks & Torres Islands.
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