Louisiade Archipelago

"Louisiade" redirects here. Not to be confused with the Os Lusíadas poem.
Louisiade Archipelago
The Louisiade Archipelago is part of Milne Bay Province (in dark red)
Geography
Coordinates11°12′S 153°00′E / 11.200°S 153.000°E / -11.200; 153.000
Total islands300+
Area1,871.1 km2 (722.4 sq mi)
Administration
ProvinceMilne Bay Province
Largest settlementBwagaoia on Misima Island (pop. 2680)
Demographics
Population47000 (2014)
Moving westward from eastern end of the chain are the islands of Rossel and Vanatinai (Tagula). Misima Island, which harbors the largest village in the region, is obscured by a patch of clouds northeast of image center

The Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands in Papua New Guinea.

It is located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than 160 kilometres (99 mi) and spread over an ocean area of 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) between the Solomon Sea to the north and the Coral Sea to the south. The aggregate land area of the islands is about 1,871 square kilometres (722 sq mi), with Vanatinai (Tagula) being the largest.

Rogeia, Samarai and Sariba lie closest to New Guinea, while Misima, Vanatinai, and Rossel islands lie further east.