Manus Island is the largest island in the Admiralty Group of Papua New Guinea. It has an area of about 730 square miles (1,890 square kilometers). It is mountainous and heavily forested. Only small areas along the coast and in the eastern end are suitable for farming. Most of the islanders are Melanesians. They are skilled at fishing and trade widely with people on nearby islands. The islanders grow taro, yams, pineapples, bananas, and sago.
The Dutch navigator Willem Schouten sighted the island in 1616. Germany claimed it in 1884, and Australian troops occupied it early in World War I (1914-1918). The Japanese occupied it in 1942, during World War II. American forces recaptured it in 1944. In 1948, the United States withdrew its forces. In 1950, Australia set up a naval and air base on Manus.
In 2001, the Australian government opened immigration detention facilities on Manus Island. The facilities hold people seeking to immigrate to Australia. Many people at the processing center are seeking political asylum (shelter and protection). They are kept there until officials can review their asylum claims. The Australian government shut down the facilities in 2008 and reopened them in 2013. In 2017, the center was closed. Asylum seekers were relocated to other areas or countries.
