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77-654: Bougainville is the largest island in the archipelago, while it is geographically part of the Solomon Archipelago, it is politically an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea . The Solomon Islands rain forests form part of the East Melanesian Islands ecoregion, also known as the Solomons-Vanuatu-Bismarck moist forests, which is a biogeographic region in the Melanesia subregion of Oceania . In

154-423: A crepuscular animal, it is most active during the dusk and dawn hours, feeding primarily at dusk. it also is active and eats during the hours of dawn, though to a lesser extent. It has quite good eyesight and relies upon it to identify threats, as well as potential food. It relies heavily on its sense of smell and uses it to identify its territory and other members of its group, called a circulus . Like snakes ,

231-660: A submarine volcano known as Kavachi , which is 28 km (20 mi) to the south of Vangunu . This ecoregion consists of tropical lowland and montane forests on oceanic islands. The islands are predominantly hill forest, although only a few of the islands are higher than 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) in elevation. The vegetation types in this ecoregion, include mangrove forests and saline swamp forests, coastal strand vegetation, freshwater swamp, riverine forests, different types of lowland rain forests and montane rain forest. The Solomon Islanders use trees from different forest types for housing, food and medicinal purposes. Large areas of

308-470: A broader head and a more slender body shape than female skinks. Males have a V-shaped pattern of scales just aft of the cloacal opening, which is not present in female skinks. The scales of Solomon Islands skinks are a dark green but are often speckled with light brown or black. The scales on the underside vary from light yellow to different shades of green. The toes on all four legs have thick, curved nails used for climbing and gripping tree limbs. As

385-480: A desire to see Bougainville become independent by June 2025, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape cautioned against setting a specific timetable. On 7 July 2021, it was announced that Bougainville will become independent by the end of 2027 pending approval of the PNG parliament. The region is divided into three districts, which are further divided into Local Level Government (LLGs) areas. For census purposes,

462-645: A large part of Papua New Guinea's gross national product . The mine was operated by the Australian company Bougainville Copper (BLC), a subsidiary of the British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto/CRA, which had majority control of the company. The state of Papua New Guinea (PNG) holds a 19.1% stake in Bougainville Copper. As a result of the civil war and the rebel-forced closure of the mine, Papua New Guinea's government revenues fell by 20%. Some hope for

539-411: A long, slender body, strong, short legs, and a triangular shaped head with small round eyes. The skink has a strong crushing jaw but the teeth are small and used for eating plant material. Its prehensile tail helps it maneuver from branch to branch with ease and gives the skink its more common names: monkey-tailed skink, prehensile-tailed skink, or monkey skink. Male Solomon Islands skinks tend to have

616-463: A referendum in the future on whether the island should become politically independent. On 25 July 2005, rebel leader Francis Ona died after a short illness. A former surveyor with Bougainville Copper , Ona was a key figure in the secessionist conflict and had refused to formally join the island's peace process. In 2015, Australia announced it would establish a diplomatic post in Bougainville for

693-451: A typical mammal. Extensive logging is a serious ongoing threat to the survival of this species, as is consumption for food by native people, and export demand for the pet trade. Because of the large numbers of lizards that were being exported for the pet trade, the small region to which the skink is native, and its low reproductive rate, in 1992 Corucia zebrata was listed as a CITES Appendix II animal, which allows limits to be placed on

770-478: Is Tok Pisin , while a variety of Austronesian and non-Austronesian languages are also spoken. The region includes several Polynesian outliers where Polynesian languages are spoken. Geographically the islands of Bougainville and Buka form part of the Solomon Islands archipelago , but are politically separate from the independent country of Solomon Islands . Historically, Bougainville and Buka, together with

847-964: Is endemic to Guadalcanal . This oceanic island ecoregion has least seven endemic genera of birds. Makira (San Cristobal) and the New Georgia group, have their own endemic species. A total of 199 bird species inhabit the Solomons and of those birds, about 69 bird species are found nowhere else in the world. Two bird species are critically endangered: Makira woodhen ( Gallinula silvestris ), yellow-legged pigeon ( Columba pallidiceps ). Four bird species are endangered: imitator goshawk or imitator sparrowhawk ( Accipiter imitator ), Woodford's rail ( Hypotaenidia woodfordi ), red-knobbed imperial pigeon ( Ducula rubricera ), and white-eyed starling ( Aplonis brunneicapillus ). Autonomous Region of Bougainville Bougainville ( / ˈ b oʊ ɡ ən v ɪ l / BOH -gən-vil ; Tok Pisin : Bogenvil ), officially

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924-483: Is a Latinized form of the word zebra , in reference to the animal's zebra-like stripes. Some of its common names (prehensile-tailed skink, monkey-tailed skink, monkey skink) refer to its fully prehensile tail which the species uses as a fifth limb for climbing. Although appearances of Solomon Island skinks vary from island to island, only one subspecies, from the western islands of the Solomons Archipelago,

1001-657: Is a large arboreal tropical animal. It requires a large arboreal enclosure, with a constant temperature between 75–80 degrees Fahrenheit (24–27 degrees Celsius), with heat being provided from above as well as below, allowing the skink to bask in the heat from above as it would during dusk, while providing a radiant heat from below to aid digestion. The dynamics of the skink's circulus means that not all groups do well when new animals are introduced. Despite successful breeding programs, its somewhat unusual nature of single births and slow growth has made these programs challenging. Biologist Michael Balsai of Temple University has noted

1078-402: Is a mix of green and yellow whereas the iris of the common Solomon Islands skink can vary from several different shades of green to orange to a dark black. According to Dr. Gunther Köhler, who described the northern subspecies, this subspecies possesses "larger dorsal and ventral scales" and has "seven instead of usually five parietal scales". The northern Solomon Islands skink is the shorter of

1155-412: Is completely herbivorous , eating many different fruits and vegetables including the pothos plant. It is one of the few species of reptile known to function within a social group or circulus . Both male and female specimens are known to be territorial and often hostile towards members not a part of their family group. Corucia is a monotypic genus , containing a single species. However, in 1997 it

1232-677: Is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption , and can be found on Buka Island . It was formerly the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in the former mission of Tubiana. There are a total of 33 Catholic parishes and one mission in the region. Bougainville's constitution, written in English , does not specify an official language , but calls for constitutional literature to be translated into Tok Pisin and as many local languages as possible, while also encouraging

1309-432: Is native to Papua New Guinea , and the Solomon Islands archipelago , a group of islands in the south-west Pacific Ocean . The common subspecies ( C. z. zebrata ) is found on the islands of Choiseul , New Georgia , Santa Isabel , Guadalcanal , Nggela , Malaita , Makira , Ugi and Owaraha . The northern subspecies ( C. z. alfredschmidti) is known from the islands of Bougainville and Buka and

1386-543: Is north of Bougainville, separated by a narrow strait. The region includes other more or less remote islands and atolls: The territory constitutes an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean that has an area of 9384 square kilometres . Elections for the first autonomous government were held in May and June 2005; Joseph Kabui , an independence leader, was elected president. He died in office on 6 June 2008. After interim elections to fill

1463-459: Is not practical as a sole method of species survival due to the limited number of offspring and long gestation periods. The Solomon Islands skink is represented in both public and private collections. The Philadelphia Zoo has bred this species of skink over multiple generations for the past 40 years. The keeping of the Solomon Islands skink in captivity is not without its challenges: as it

1540-608: Is one of the most important in Oceania , is heavily threatened by mining activities. Mining activities have caused civil unrest in the region many times. In January 2018, a moratorium on one mine was imposed by the Papua New Guinea government, in a bid to calm civil unrest against mining in the region. Bougainville had one of the world's largest open-pit copper mines, the Pangunamine, from 1972 to 1989, which for many years generated

1617-678: Is part of the Eastern Coral Triangle marine province of the Central Indo-Pacific marine realm . The Solomon archipelago has a rich and diverse marine life, including coral reefs and seagrass meadows . The archipelago is part of the Coral Triangle , the region of the western Pacific with world's greatest diversity of corals and coral reef species. The baseline survey of marine biodiversity in 2004, identified 494 coral species, including nine potentially new species and extended

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1694-501: Is the final step in the Bougainville Peace Agreement. The referendum question was a choice between greater autonomy within Papua New Guinea, or full independence. Over 98% of the valid ballots were cast for independence. Ishmael Toroama , a former rebel leader, was elected president of Bougainville on 23 September 2020. Negotiations between Papua New Guinea and Bougainville began on 17 May 2021. While Toroama stated

1771-494: Is the most productive in all of PNG for cocoa. Omuru et al. , 2001 find households farming cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) average an income of US$ 215/year. The Cocoa Pod Borer ( Conopomorpha cramerella ) was considered a large risk for invasion here due to its invasion of nearby areas of Southeast Asia including East New Britain . There was great interest in modelling and phytosanitation practices to forestall its introduction. Unfortunately CPB did arrive here and in 2011

1848-543: The Autonomous Region of Bougainville (Tok Pisin: Otonomos Region bilong Bogenvil ), is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea . The largest island is Bougainville Island , while the region also includes Buka Island and a number of outlying islands and atolls. The current capital is Buka , situated on Buka Island. In 2011, the region had an estimated population of 250,000. The lingua franca of Bougainville

1925-634: The Bismarck Archipelago . Around 3,000 years ago, Austronesian peoples brought the Lapita culture to the islands, introducing pottery, agriculture, and domesticated animals such as pigs, dogs, and chickens. Both Austronesian and non-Austronesian languages are spoken on the islands to this day, however there has been significant mixing between the populations to the point that cultural and genetic differences are no longer correlated with language. The first Europeans to sight present-day Bougainville were

2002-486: The Bougainville Civil War . The status of Buka is considered temporary, and the government is deciding on the location of a permanent capital. President John Momis confirmed that Bougainville would hold a non-binding independence referendum in 2019. The governments of both Bougainville and Papua New Guinea held a two-week referendum period which began on 23 November 2019 and closed on 7 December 2019, which

2079-670: The Florida Islands included in the German section. The current boundary between PNG and Solomon Islands is derived from the Tripartite Convention of 1899, which saw those islands ceded to the United Kingdom. The German Solomon Islands were administered through German New Guinea , although it took almost two decades for an administrative presence to be established. The German administrative station at Kieta , established in 1905,

2156-550: The Flower-faced bat ( Anthops ornatus ). Three of the fruit bats, Bougainville monkey-faced bat ( Pteralopex anceps ), Guadalcanal monkey-faced bat ( Pteralopex atrata ) and Montane monkey-faced bat ( Pteralopex pulchra ), are critically endangered, and three of the rodents are endangered, Buka Island mosaic-tailed rat or Buka Island melomys ( Melomys spechti ), Poncelet's giant rat or Poncelet's naked-tailed rat ( Solomys ponceleti ), and emperor rat ( Uromys imperator ) that

2233-718: The National Soccer League since 2019, although it is based in Port Moresby rather than in Bougainville itself. Previously, a team from Bougainville won the national soccer championships in 1977, defeating Rabaul . Historically the Bougainville Soccer Association came into conflict with the Papua New Guinea Football Association over various matters. During the 1970s and 1980s, teams from Bougainville played against other regions in

2310-539: The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) to put down the rebellion, and the conflict escalated into a civil war . The PNGDF retreated from permanent positions on Bougainville in 1990, but continued military action. The conflict involved pro-independence and loyalist Bougainvillean groups as well as the PNGDF. The war claimed an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 lives. In 1996, Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan made

2387-496: The Papua New Guinea national netball team at the Commonwealth Games . Solomon Islands skink The Solomon Islands skink ( Corucia zebrata ), also known as prehensile-tailed skink , monkey-tailed skink , giant skink , zebra skink , and monkey skink , is an arboreal species of skink endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago . It is the largest known extant species of skink . The Solomon Islands skink

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2464-497: The Shortland Islands . Bougainville and Buka are geographically part of the Solomons Archipelago, though politically part of Papua New Guinea . Both subspecies of the Solomon Islands skink are strictly arboreal, usually inhabiting the upper canopy of forested areas throughout its range. The adults commonly establish a territory within the canopy of one tree. It commonly occurs in the strangler fig tree ( Ficus sp. ), provided

2541-525: The World Bank 's Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project was created to help farmers control the insect. From the 2009 production level, bean tonnage fell by over 41% by 2014 (although this also includes trees aging out). The Tinputz area – including Namatoa – had been the highest-producing part of the region and has seen many farms be abandoned and return to jungle. PPAP hopes to revive

2618-438: The epiphytic growth of its several food plants are present. It occurs in trees in semi-cleared areas and cultivated food gardens, again provided its food plants occur there. The Solomon Islands skink is the world's largest species of extant skink; adults can reach a total length (including tail) of 32 inches (81 cm) when fully grown, with the tail accounting for more than half this length. The Solomon Islands skink has

2695-457: The saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ) is found in mangrove swamps, rivers and tidal estuaries, and also in the open ocean. Although this oceanic island ecoregion contains only forty-seven mammal species, twenty-six of those species are endemic or near endemic, including nine murid rodents (Melomys, Solomys, Uromys), fifteen pteropodid bats (Dobsonia, Melonycteris, Nyctimene, Pteralopex, Pteropus), one molossid bat ( Chaerephon ) and

2772-581: The "development, preservation, and enrichment of all Bougainville languages". The most widely spoken Austronesian language is Halia and its dialects, spoken in the island of Buka and the Selau peninsula of Northern Bougainville. Other Austronesian languages include Nehan , Petats , Solos , Saposa (Taiof), Hahon and Tinputz , all spoken in the northern quarter of Bougainville, Buka and surrounding islands. These languages are closely related. Bannoni and Torau are Austronesian languages not closely related to

2849-609: The Dutch explorers Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire , who glimpsed Takuu Atoll and Nissan Island in 1616. British naval officer Philip Carteret saw Buka Island in 1767 and also visited the islands that were later named in his honour . In 1768, French admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville sailed along the east coast of the island that now bears his name. The German Empire , which had already begun operations in New Guinea, annexed present-day Bougainville in 1886, after agreeing with

2926-531: The LLGAs are subdivided into wards, and those into census units. The great majority of Bougainville residents are Christian, with an estimated 70% being Roman Catholic and a substantial minority being of the Protestant United Church of Papua New Guinea since 1968. The Catholic Church has its own diocese in the region (Diocese of Bougainville or Dioecesis Buganvillensis ). The cathedral and main church

3003-572: The PNG national championships for Australian rules football , cricket , and field hockey . Boxing is popular in Bougainville. The region won the 2017 National Boxing Championships, which were hosted in Arawa. Notable boxers from the region include Commonwealth Boxing Council titleholder Johnny Aba and Pacific Games gold medalist Thadius Katua . Bougainvillean netball player Maleta Roberts has played professionally in Australia and represented

3080-459: The Solomon Islands is now restricted and the animal is protected under CITES appendix II. The Solomon Islands skink was first described by John Edward Gray in 1855 as Corucia zebrata . The generic name Corucia derives from the Latin word coruscus meaning "shimmering". This is in reference to Gray's description of "a play of colors effect from the body scales". Its specific name zebrata

3157-448: The Solomon Islands there are 28 land based and 24 marine protected areas formally recognised (PIPAP 2016). The Pacific Islands Protected Areas Portal (PIPAP 2021) states that 530.42 km (204.80 sq mi) out of 29,191.65 km (11,270.96 sq mi) (1.82%) of the total land area of Solomon Islands is protected, while 1,879.38 km (725.63 sq mi) out of 1,609,756.55 km (621,530.48 sq mi) (0.12%) of

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3234-453: The Solomon archipelago), geckos , varanids (or ‘ monitors ’), and agamids (or ‘dragons’) of the genus Hydrosaurus . Different snake species are found in the Solomon Archipelago, ranging from those that live in the ocean ( sea kraits and sea snakes), those that live in moist conditions underground or in rotting logs and leaf litter (blind snakes Acutotyphlops ), and those that are found in

3311-489: The United Kingdom to divide the Solomon Islands archipelago between them. A German protectorate over the northern islands was established later that year, but the British Solomon Islands Protectorate was not established until 1893. The initial boundary between the two territories was much more southerly, with Choiseul Island , Santa Isabel Island , Ontong Java , the Shortland Islands , and part of

3388-657: The capital may relocate from Buka back to the previous location of Arawa . Bougainville has been inhabited by humans for at least 29,000 years, according to evidence obtained from Kilu Cave on Buka Island. Until about 10,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum , there was a single island referred to as "Greater Bougainville" that spanned from the northern tip of Buka Island to the Nggela Islands north of Guadalcanal . The first inhabitants of Bougainville were Australo-Melanesians who presumably arrived from

3465-597: The coast of the mountainous high islands of the Solomon Archipelago including: Choiseul , the Shortland Islands , the New Georgia Islands , Santa Isabel , the Russell Islands , the Florida Islands , Tulagi , Malaita , Maramasike , Ulawa , Owaraha (Santa Ana), Makira (San Cristobal), and the main island of Guadalcanal . According to the WWF/Nature Conservancy system, the Solomon Archipelago

3542-593: The company over adverse environmental impacts, failure to share financial benefits, and negative social changes brought by the mine resulted in a local revival for a secessionist movement that had been dormant. Activists proclaimed the independence of Bougainville ( Republic of North Solomons ) in 1975 and in 1990, but both times government forces suppressed the separatists. In 1988, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) increased their activity significantly. Prime Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu ordered

3619-515: The controversial move to hire Sandline International , a private military company previously involved in supplying mercenaries in the civil war in Sierra Leone , to put down the rebellion. The Bougainville conflict ended in 1997 after negotiations brokered by New Zealand . In 2000, A peace agreement was completed and, together with disarmament , provided for the establishment of an Autonomous Bougainville Government . The parties agreed to have

3696-512: The culture of the islanders. In 1942, Bougainville was invaded by the Japanese in order to provide a support base for the operations elsewhere in the South-West Pacific. The Allied counter-invasion resulted in heavy casualties, beginning in 1943, with full control of the islands not re-established until 1945. After the war the Australian government incorporated Bougainville and the rest of

3773-573: The deaths of up to 20,000 people. A peace agreement resulted in the creation of the Autonomous Bougainville Government . In late 2019, a non-binding independence referendum was held with 98% voting for independence rather than continued autonomy within Papua New Guinea. As a result, the regional authorities intend to become independent between 2025 and 2027, pending ratification by the Papua New Guinean government. If ratified,

3850-575: The eventual reopening of the Panguna mine. Negotiations to reopen the Panguna mine began in early March 2006 with talks between former PNG Mines Minister Sam Akoitai and the Rio Tinto corporation in London. Some representatives of landowners in the Panguna area have repeatedly agreed to resume mining operations, albeit in conjunction with demands for large compensation payments from the mine operator BCL. Yields from

3927-498: The female provides a placenta for its young, which are born after a gestation period of six to eight months; this is a rare trait among reptiles. The newborn skink is of a large size compared to its mother; the northern Solomon Islands skinks are approximately 29 centimetres (11 in) in length and weigh 80 grams (0.18 lb), whereas the common Solomon Islands skinks are 30 centimetres (12 in) and 175 grams (0.386 lb) when they are born. This reduced size disparity led

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4004-466: The first time. In 2016, it cancelled those plans acknowledging that it had not obtained the PNG government 's approval. In 2019, a non-binding independence referendum was held with 98.3% voting for independence rather than continued autonomy within Papua New Guinea. As a result, the regional authorities intend to become independent between 2025 and 2027. A draft constitution for a "Republic of Bougainville"

4081-440: The first two days. A study done in 2000 showed that this species still exhibits a feed response based on chemical cues from insects. It is believed that this is an ancestral trait that these skinks have retained, though it is not used in the wild. The Solomon Islands skink is one of the few species of reptile that lives in a communal group known as a circulus . The Solomon Islands skink reproduces by viviparous matrotrophy :

4158-474: The former colony as a League of Nations mandate , administered by Australia as the Territory of New Guinea . A civilian administration was established in 1920, after which German nationals were deported and their property expropriated. A number of punitive expeditions took place during both the German and Australian administrations, as part of "pacification" programs. The colonial period saw significant changes in

4235-604: The former curator of reptiles at the Philadelphia Zoo , Dr. Kevin Wright, to compare it to "a human mother giving birth to a six year–old". Almost all births are single babies, but occasionally twins will be born. At least one instance of triplets has occurred according to herpetologist Bert Langerwerf. The newborn skink will stay within its circulus for six to twelve months during which time it will be protected by not only its parents but other unrelated adult skinks within

4312-489: The former, which are spoken in the coastal areas of central and south Bougainville. On the nearby Takuu Atoll a Polynesian language is spoken, Takuu . Official statistics about Bougainville's economy are not available. The PNG National Research Institute estimates its GDP per capita at $ 1,100 as of 2019. A small percentage of the region's economy is from mining . The majority of economic growth comes from agriculture and aquaculture . The region's biodiversity, which

4389-435: The group. Around one year of age, sometimes earlier, the juvenile will move off to form a new family group. Individuals have been documented to stay within the group for several births without being expelled, however. Females exhibit fierce protective behavior around the time of birth; this protectiveness of young is a rare occurrence in reptiles but is shorter in duration when compared to the protective behavior exhibited by

4466-443: The industry around Namatoa. Cryptolaemus sinestria is a mealybug of cacao trees here, observed at a Buka agricultural station. Termites are common agricultural pests in Bougainville. Microcerotermes biroi and Nasutitermes novanimhebridarum are pests of coconut ( Cocos nucifera ). N. novanimhebridarum is also a pest of cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) here. Termite pests found here tend to be shared with many of

4543-723: The islands of Choiseul, Santa Isabel, the Shortlands and Ontong Java, which are all now part of the country of Solomon Islands, formed the German Solomon Islands Protectorate, the geographical area later being referred to as the North Solomon Islands . Bougainville has been inhabited by humans for at least 29,000 years. During the colonial period the region was occupied and administered by the Germans, Australians, Japanese, and Americans for various periods. The name of

4620-541: The known range of 122 coral species to include the Solomons. The 2004 survey also recorded 1,019 species of reef fish, of which 47 were species range extensions. Dugongs are found in the seagrass meadows and near-shore waters. Lizards are the most diverse group of reptiles in the Solomon Archipelago, and within the lizards there are several different types: skinks (including the Solomon Islands skink or prehensile tailed skink Corucia zebrata and Poncelet’s crocodile skink Tribolonotus ponceleti , which are endemic to

4697-499: The leaves, flowers, fruit, and growing shoots of several different species of plants. This includes the somewhat toxic (due to high concentrations of calcium oxalate ) Epipremnum pinnatum (cf. E. aureum) plant, which the lizard eats without ill effect. Juvenile skinks often eat feces from adults in order to acquire the essential microflora to digest their food. Newborn skinks have been observed consuming their placental sac after birth and will not feed on other food for

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4774-399: The mandate into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea , the immediate predecessor of present-day Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia in 1975. As Bougainville is rich in copper and gold , a large mine had been established at Panguna in the early 1970s by Bougainville Copper Limited , a subsidiary of Rio Tinto . Disputes by regional residents with

4851-458: The natural forest below 400 metres (1,312 ft) have been logged or are planned to be logged. Forest clearing for subsistence agriculture also reduces the amount of natural forest. Seasonally dry forest and grassland is found only on the leeward (north) side of Guadalcanal as the result of the “rain shadow” caused by the mountains of Guadalcanal which are higher than 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) in elevation. Fringing reefs are located around

4928-510: The nearby islands. A law passed by the provincial assembly – the Bougainville Flag, Emblem and Anthem (Protection) Act 2018 – affirmed the existing official status of the flag of Bougainville and emblem of Bougainville . Both the flag and emblem feature stylised depictions of the upe , a traditional headdress worn by men in parts of Bougainville to symbolise their transition to adulthood. The law also established " My Bougainville " as

5005-444: The number of animals in commercial trade between countries. Since there is no regulation on the rapid deforestation occurring in the Solomon Islands, limited export to recognized institutions may be needed to aid this species in genetic diversity for its survival via ex situ breeding programs. According to herpetologists who study the Solomon Islands skink, such as Dr. David Kirkpatrick and Dr. Kevin Wright, captive breeding alone

5082-600: The region originates from French admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville , who reached it in 1768. Bougainvillean separatism dates to the 1960s, and the Republic of the North Solomons was declared shortly before the independence of Papua New Guinea in 1975; it was subsumed into Papua New Guinea the following year. Conflict over the Panguna mine became the primary trigger for the Bougainville Civil War (1988–1998), which resulted in

5159-562: The region's anthem. Rugby league in Bougainville is administered by the Bougainville Rugby Football League (BRFL), which is affiliated with the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL). A number of Bougainvilleans have played for the Papua New Guinea national rugby league team , including Bernard Wakatsi, Joe Katsi, Lauta Atoi , and Chris Siriosi. F.C. Bougainville has played in

5236-487: The remainder of his term, John Momis was elected as president in 2010 for a five-year term. He supports autonomy within a relationship with the national government of Papua New Guinea. The Constitution of Bougainville specifies that the Autonomous Bougainville Government shall consist of three branches: The capital city is Buka , which became the centre of government after Arawa was damaged during

5313-418: The skink "smells" by flicking its tongue to gather scents and when the tongue is retracted, it touches it to the opening of a Jacobson's organ at the roof of its mouth. The common Solomon Islands skink ( C. z. zebrata ) has a white sclera with its eyes while the northern Solomon Islands skink ( C. z. alfredschmidti) has a black sclera. The iris of the northern Solomon Islands skink

5390-573: The total marine area is protected. The protected areas in the Solomon Archipelago include: Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area , Kolombangara Forest Reserve, Makira Highlands Conservation Area and Komarindi Catchment Conservation Area on Guadalcanal . There are 36 Key Biodiversity Areas identified for the Solomon archipelago, including Kunua Plains and Mount Balbi on Bougainville Island, Mount Maetambe – Kolombangara River Important Bird Area on Choiseul Island , Kolombangara Upland Forest, Guadalcanal Watersheds, Nendö Island and Marovo Kavachi,

5467-566: The trees ( South Pacific tree boa , the brown tree snake Boiga irregularis and the Solomons tree snake Dendrelaphis calligastra ). The sea kraits, and two other terrestrial species, the Solomons Red Krait Salomonelaps par and the Solomons Black-banded krait Loveridgelaps elapoides , are members of the cobra family ( Elapidae ) and are considered dangerous due to their toxic venom. One species of crocodile,

5544-404: The two main exports , cocoa and copra , returned to pre-civil war levels in 2007. Largely operated by Europeans, Asians, churches and corporations, large-scale commercial plantations, which were responsible for a significant share of production before the civil war, are now used by smaller local operators. Further processing is done by small cocoa dryers promoted by AusAid. Bougainville Region

5621-512: The two subspecies with males averaging 24 inches (61 cm) and females averaging 22 inches (56 cm) in total length. The common Solomon Islands skinks are slightly longer with the males averaging 28 inches (71 cm) and the females averaging 24 inches (61 cm) in total length. The common Solomon Islands skink, at 850 grams (1.87 lb), weighs more than the northern Solomon Islands skink, which weighs closer to 500 grams (1.1 lb). Solomon Islands skinks are herbivores , feeding on

5698-460: Was described by Dr. Gunther Köhler in 1996 as C. z. alfredschmidti , the trinomial name of which is in honor of German amateur herpetologist Alfred A. Schmidt. The closest living relatives of C. zebrata are the blue-tongued skinks of the genus Tiliqua and skinks of the genus Egernia of Australia , New Guinea , and Indonesia , all of which are also assigned to the subfamily Lygosominae . The Solomon Islands skink

5775-523: Was determined that there are two subspecies of the Solomon Islands skink: the common monkey-tailed skink ( Corucia zebrata zebrata ) and the northern monkey-tailed skink ( Corucia zebrata alfredschmidti) . Among other variances, the northern skink is smaller and has darker eyes with a black sclera . Extensive logging is a serious threat to the survival of this species. Consumption for food by indigenous Solomon Islanders and excessive pet trade exports have affected wild populations. Export of this species from

5852-530: Was preceded by a Marist mission, which succeeded in converting a majority of the islanders to Catholicism. The first fully commercial plantation was established in 1908, but German annexation had little economic impact. The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force occupied Bougainville in December 1914, as part of the Australian occupation of German New Guinea . The 1919 Treaty of Versailles established

5929-416: Was published by the Autonomous Bougainville Government in May 2024. The Bougainville region occupies the north of the Solomon archipelago with Bougainville Island, which is the largest island of this group. The border between Papua New Guinea and the nation of Solomon Islands lies just south in the middle of a 9 km (5.6 mi) strait that separates it from the Shortland Islands . The island of Buka

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