Bougainville, an island in the Pacific with nearly 300,000 inhabitants, reaffirmed its plan to become an independent nation by September 1, 2027, after decades of sovereignty aspirations and conflicts with Papua New Guinea, the country to which it currently belongs.
Located north of Australia and culturally closer to the Solomon Islands than to the rest of Papua, Bougainville has long sought to disassociate itself from a state with which it does not identify. Its history is marked by German, Australian, and Japanese colonizations, and by a bloody civil war between 1989 and 2000 that left thousands dead.
The path to independence took a significant step in 2019, when a non-binding plebiscite showed an overwhelming 98% support for separation. Since then, local authorities have been working on consolidating key institutions for the future country: an economic plan has already been presented, a tax authority has been created, and a justice center has been opened.
According to The Guardian, a national Constitution is also being drafted, and the process is expected to culminate in 2027 with the birth of a new State.
A new nation that must seek balance in environmental decisions
Bougainville’s President, Ismael Toroama, defended the reopening of the Panguna mine —closed in 1989 for environmental and social reasons— as a way to achieve economic self-sufficiency. It is estimated that its copper and gold reserves could be worth over 60 billion dollars.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, James Marape, stated that the government must address the process responsibly, although he warned that Bougainville still depends economically on the central State and generates only 7% of its budget.
As it moves towards its goal, Bougainville balances the legacy of its struggle with the hope of a sovereign future.
Bougainville. Photo: Wikipedia.
Bougainville, a place surrounded by nature and charm
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville is known for its dreamy beaches and bays that French explorers made known through stories of its beauty nearly 200 years ago.
Much of the region is humid and hot, with temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius. Additionally, rainfall decreases further north in the region, from 4500 mm south of Bougainville Island to 2500 mm north of Buka Island.
Moreover, the island is notable for the Bougainville Trench, better known as the New Britain Trench, one of the deepest in the world at 9140 meters deep. This trench is located east of New Guinea Island and the Solomon Islands archipelago, in the Pacific Ocean.
Source: The Daily Digest.
