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Reference.org
New Britain
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<p>New Britain is the largest <a href="/facts/Island/46Apq1bJ">island</a> in the <a href="/facts/Bismarck_Archipelago/DaIy0GML">Bismarck Archipelago</a>, part of the <a href="/facts/Islands_Region/0n8wA9Gl">Islands Region</a> of <a href="/facts/Papua_New_Guinea/RLaVlhFC">Papua New Guinea</a>. It is separated from <a href="/facts/New_Guinea/qB0bzfSH">New Guinea</a> by a northwest corner of the <a href="/facts/Solomon_Sea/7BhhH067">Solomon Sea</a> (or with an island hop of <a href="/facts/Umboi_Island/yfonPAfn">Umboi</a> the <a href="/facts/Dampier_Strait_(Papua_New_Guinea)/gEsI8IAz">Dampier</a> and <a href="/facts/Vitiaz_Strait/0K5aDc0B">Vitiaz Straits</a>) and from <a href="/facts/New_Ireland_(island)/BFIrc4Ty">New Ireland</a> by <a href="/facts/St._George%2527s_Channel_(Papua_New_Guinea)/DaIy0GML">St. George's Channel</a>. The main towns of New Britain are <a href="/facts/Rabaul/br6w0zx4">Rabaul</a>/<a href="/facts/Kokopo/NdCxfIHQ">Kokopo</a> and <a href="/facts/Kimbe/Mma1EHDK">Kimbe</a>. The island is roughly the size of <a href="/facts/Taiwan/VcJoUD8w">Taiwan</a>. </p><p>When the island was part of <a href="/facts/German_New_Guinea/m5x0eojD">German New Guinea</a>, its name was Neupommern ("New <a href="/facts/Pomerania/CrT5dgpD">Pomerania</a>"). In common with most of the Bismarcks it was largely formed by volcanic processes, and has active volcanoes including <a href="/facts/Ulawun/Iwy1NpJ1">Ulawun</a> (highest volcano nationally), <a href="/facts/Langila/UPNPPlqm">Langila</a>, the <a href="/facts/Garbuna_Group/5wJGlRaH">Garbuna Group</a>, the <a href="/facts/Sulu_Range/FCobXkfM">Sulu Range</a>, and the volcanoes <a href="/facts/Tavurvur/rWhQmeCH">Tavurvur</a> and <a href="/facts/Vulcan_(volcano)/6DFvPJr8">Vulcan</a> of the <a href="/facts/Rabaul_caldera/5CwBWGk5">Rabaul caldera</a>. A major eruption of Tavurvur in 1994 destroyed the <a href="/facts/East_New_Britain/HKXup0EE">East New Britain</a> provincial capital of <a href="/facts/Rabaul/br6w0zx4">Rabaul</a>. Most of the town still lies under metres of ash, and the capital has been moved to nearby <a href="/facts/Kokopo/NdCxfIHQ">Kokopo</a>. </p>