|
Background: The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives. Definition: This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends. Source: CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of September 17, 2009 |
© 2009 IndexMundi. All rights reserved.
