Bougainville Island

Bougainville Island located in the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. Voters backing Bougainville’s independence from Papua New Guinea have voted to become world's newest country. Papua New Guinea has one land border—that which divides the island of New Guinea. The geography of Papua New Guinea includes New Guinea, the islands of New Ireland, New Britain and Bougainville, and smaller nearby islands. Together these make up the nation of Papua New Guinea in tropical Oceania, located in the western edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Bougainville Island is the largest island of the Solomon Islands archipelago in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is located east of mainland Papua New Guinea, to which it is politically attached. The island has an area of about 9,300 square kilometers (3,600 square miles) and a population of approximately 300,000 people.

Bougainville Island is known for its natural beauty, with lush rainforests, pristine beaches, and diverse wildlife. The island is home to several indigenous communities, with the majority of the population belonging to the Bougainvilleans, who have their own distinct culture, language, and traditions.

The island gained international attention due to a conflict that lasted from 1988 to 1998. The Bougainville Civil War was fought between the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF). The conflict arose from grievances over the environmental and social impacts of the Panguna copper mine, which was one of the world's largest open-pit mines at the time. The war resulted in significant loss of life and widespread destruction.

Following the conflict, a peace agreement called the Bougainville Peace Agreement was signed in 2001, establishing an autonomous Bougainville government and paving the way for a non-binding independence referendum. In 2019, the people of Bougainville voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Papua New Guinea, although the final decision on independence is subject to negotiation with the central government.

The future of Bougainville Island is still being determined, as discussions continue between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Papua New Guinea government regarding the implementation of the referendum result and the process of achieving independence.