Merig
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Merig | |
|---|---|
 Location of Merig in Banks Islands | |
  Merig Location in Vanuatu | |
| Coordinates: 14°19′S 167°48′E / 14.317°S 167.800°E | |
| Country |  Vanuatu |
| Province | Torba Province |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi) |
| [1] | |
| Population (2009) | |
• Total | 12 |
| • Density | 24/km2 (62/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+11 (VUT) |
Merig is a small island located 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Gaua, in the Banks Islands of northern Vanuatu.
The island is about 800 metres (2,600 feet) wide, and has a circumference of 2.2 kilometres (1 mile).
The name Merig [ŋ͡mʷeriɣ] comes from the Mota language. It comes from a Proto-Torres-Banks form *mʷera riɣi "the small boy" via haplology to *mʷeriɣi. It contrasts with Merelava, from *mʷera-i laβa "the big boy". The native term in Mwerlap is N̄wërig [ŋʷɞˈriɣ], from the same etymon.
History
The first recorded sighting of Merig Island by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 25 April 1606.[2] It was then named Île Sainte Claire.[3]
