Munda: Encyclopedia - Munda

Munda

For the Hindu monster, see Munda (Hinduism), for Caesar's battle see battle of Munda, and for the language family see Munda languages.

Munda is the largest settlement on the island of New Georgia in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It is located at the southwestern tip (called Munda Point) of the western end of New Georgia, and the large Roviana Lagoon is just offshore.

Munda Point was originally the site of a coconut plantation established by Australian Norman Wheately. During World War II the Japanese built an airstrip to serve as a staging point to Guadalcanal. A convoy put in to Munda Point on 24 November 1942, and started construction under careful concealment from the air, but were discovered by American planes on 3 December, and the first airstrikes were delivered by B-17s on 9 December. However, the Japanese were able to use Munda despite regular bombardment from both air and sea, and the Americans' New Georgia Campaign spent July of 1943 closing in on Munda overland, capturing it on 6 August.

The airstrip remains today, but it is primarily used by tourists coming for scuba diving in the lagoon.

See also

• Kasi Maru

Category: Solomon Islands

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Munda", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki