Belep
Encyclopedia
Belep is a commune in the North Province
of New Caledonia
, an overseas territory of France
in the Pacific Ocean
.
The commune's territory is made up of the Belep Islands (also known as the Belep Archipelago), which lie to the north of New Caledonia's mainland. The two principal islands in the Belep Archipelago are Art Island
(aka Aar) and Pott Island (aka Phwoc), and the rest of the archipelago
consists of the Northern Daos Islands, the Southern Daos Islands, and several very small islet
s.
The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Waala, on Art Island
, the largest of the Belep Islands.
between 1892 and 1898.
North Province, New Caledonia
The North Province is one of three administrative subdivisions in New Caledonia. It corresponds to the northern and northeastern portion of the New Caledonian mainland.The provincial government seat is at Koné....
of New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, an overseas territory of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
The commune's territory is made up of the Belep Islands (also known as the Belep Archipelago), which lie to the north of New Caledonia's mainland. The two principal islands in the Belep Archipelago are Art Island
Art Island
Art Island is the largest of the Belep Islands archipelago in New Caledonia. It has an area of 53 km² . Chief settlement is Waala, which is also the capital of Belep commune....
(aka Aar) and Pott Island (aka Phwoc), and the rest of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
consists of the Northern Daos Islands, the Southern Daos Islands, and several very small islet
Islet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
s.
The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Waala, on Art Island
Art Island
Art Island is the largest of the Belep Islands archipelago in New Caledonia. It has an area of 53 km² . Chief settlement is Waala, which is also the capital of Belep commune....
, the largest of the Belep Islands.
History
The Belep Islands were named after a Kanak chief who settled there in ancient times. A Catholic mission was founded in Belep in 1856. The islands were the site of a leper colonyLeper colony
A leper colony, leprosarium, or lazar house is a place to quarantine leprous people.-History:Leper colonies or houses became widespread in the Middle Ages, particularly in Europe and India, and often run by monastic orders...
between 1892 and 1898.