Rabaul

Rabaul, town of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is situated on Simpson Harbour, part of Blanche Bay, on the Gazelle Peninsula. The town, founded in 1910 as a German colonial headquarters, was the capital (1921–41) of the Australian-administered Territory of New Guinea mandated by the League of Nations. Located above unstable tectonic plates, it frequently experiences earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Surrounded by a number of volcanoes, including...