Lae (pop. 110,911) is the administrative center of Morobe district of Papua New Guinea. It lies at the mouth of the Markham River, on the Huon Gulf, which is on the northeastern coast. It is the country’s major shipping port. Lae is a major industrial center, supplying the territory with many industrial and commercial products.
Before the establishment of the Lae airstrip in 1928, aircraft operations to the gold fields of Edie Creek and Bulolo were based at Salamaua. Lae developed due to the need for better airstrip facilities to carry heavy equipment to the Highlands. The Japanese captured it in March 1942, during World War II (1939-1945), and the Allies recaptured it in a battle in September 1943. During this battle, Lae was completely destroyed. The town was rebuilt in 1945.
