Merig is a small island located 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Gaua, in the Banks Islands of northern Vanuatu.
Merig | |
|---|---|
 Location of Merig in Banks Islands | |
  Merig Location in Vanuatu | |
| Coordinates: 14°19′S 167°48′E / 14.317°S 167.800°E | |
| Country |  Vanuatu |
| Province | Torba Province |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.5 km2 (0.2 sq mi) |
| [1] | |
| Population (2009) | |
• Total | 12 |
| • Density | 24/km2 (62/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+11 (VUT) |
The island is about 800 metres (2,600 feet) wide, and has a circumference of 2.2 kilometres (1 mile).
Name
editThe name Merig [ŋ͡mʷeriɣ] comes from the Mota language. It comes from a Proto-Torres-Banks form *mʷera riɣi "the small boy" via haplology to *mʷeriɣi. It contrasts with Merelava, from *mʷera-i laβa "the big boy". The native term in Mwerlap is N̄wërig [ŋʷɞˈriɣ], from the same etymon.
History
editThe first recorded sighting of Merig Island by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 25 April 1606.[2] It was then named Île Sainte Claire.[3]
Population
editAs of 2009, Merig was only inhabited by three households, consisting of 12 individuals.[4] Merig was not listed in Vanuatu's 2020 census.[5]
The inhabitants of Merig speak Mwerlap,[6] the language of the neighbouring island Merelava.
References
edit- ^ "Vanuatu". Haos Blong Volkeno. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands Oxford, 1960, p.65.
- ^ Sidney Herbert Ray (29 May 2014). A Comparative Study of the Melanesian Island Languages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 427–. ISBN 978-1-107-68202-3.
- ^ "2009 National Census of Population and Housing: Summary Release" (PDF). Vanuatu National Statistics Office. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 10, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
- ^ "2020 National Population and Housing Census" (PDF). Vanuatu National Statistics Office. 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ^ Languages of the Banks & Torres Islands.
External links
edit- "Merig". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
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