Taiof Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Interactive map of Taiof Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 5°31′30″S 154°39′14″E / 5.525°S 154.654°E |
| Archipelago | Solomon Islands |
| Area | 23.065 km2 (8.905 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Papua New Guinea | |
| Kunua Rural LLG, North Solomons Province, Autonomous Region of Bougainville | |
Taiof Island, also known as Toiokh Island, is a small volcanic island off the north-western coast of Bougainville Island, in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in eastern Papua New Guinea. It is part of the Solomon Islands Archipelago and falls within the Kunua Rural LLG in the North Solomons Province. Saposa language is spoken by the inhabitants on the island.
During the Second World War, Taiof Island was occupied by the Empire of Japan in 1942. In early March 1944, the villagers loyal to the Allies ambushed the Japanese troops who attempted to escape from the island using native canoes to reach Tarlean on the northwest coast of Bougainville. After the war, it was part of Kieta District in the Northern Solomons in the territory of New Guinea. In 1975, it became part of the Bougainville Province in Papua New Guinea, which became an autonomous region in 2002.[1][2]