Ramu 1851868 223733731 2008-07-05T14:37:38Z DOI bot 6652755 Citation maintenance. Formatted: title. You can [[WP:DOI|use this bot]] yourself! Please [[User:DOI_bot/bugs|report any bugs]]. {{Geobox River <!-- *** Name section *** --> | name = Ramu <!-- *** Map section *** --> | map = New guinea ramu.PNG | map_caption = Location of the Ramu River <!-- General section *** --> | country = Papua New Guinea | region = Madang Province | length = 640 | length_round = -1 | length_note = approx. | watershed = | watershed_round = | watershed_note = approx. | discharge_location = | discharge_average = | discharge_round = | discharge_average_note = | discharge_max_month = | discharge_max = | discharge_min_month = | discharge_min = | discharge1_location = | discharge1_average = <!-- *** Source *** --> | source_name = | source_location = Kratke Range | source_country = Papua New Guinea | source_country1 = | source_elevation = | source_lat_d = | source_lat_m = | source_lat_s = | source_lat_NS = | source_long_d = | source_long_m = | source_long_s = | source_long_EW = <!-- *** Mouth *** --> | mouth_name = | mouth_location = Bismarck Sea | mouth_country = Papua New Guinea | mouth_country1 = | mouth_elevation = | mouth_lat_d = 4 | mouth_lat_m = 1 | mouth_lat_s = | mouth_lat_NS = S | mouth_long_d = 144 | mouth_long_m = 40 | mouth_long_s = | mouth_long_EW = E <!-- *** Tributaries *** --> | tributary_left = | tributary_right = <!-- *** Image *** ---> | image = Ramu River from air.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Part of the Ramu from the air }} {{otheruses}} The '''Ramu''' is a [[river]] in northern [[Papua New Guinea]]. The headwaters of the river are formed in the [[Kratke Range]] from where it then travels approximately {{Convert|640|km|mi|0}} north-west to the [[Bismarck Sea]]. Along the Ramu's course it receives numerous tributaries from the [[Bismarck Range]] to the south and the [[Finisterre Range|Finisterre]] and [[Adelbert Range]]s from the north. During the wet season the Ramu and [[Sepik River]]s join across the flood plain. ==History== Local villagers have lived along the river for many millennia and the river has formed the basis for food, transport and culture. ===German exploration=== The area encompassed by the Ramu was part of [[Kaiser-Wilhelmsland]] when [[Germany]] established [[German New Guinea]] in [[1884]]. The Germans were quick to explore their territory and the mouth of the Ramu was discovered in [[1886]] by Vice-Admiral [[Freiherr von Schleinitz]] after returning to [[Finschhafen]] from an expedition to the near-by [[Sepik]].<ref name=Souter73>Souter (1963) p. 73</ref> Schleinitz called the Ramu, ''Ottilien'' after his ship the ''Ottilie''.<ref name=Souter73/> [[Image:Ramu river exploration 1930s.jpg|thumb|left|Ramu villagers investigating a camera during an Australian expedition in the 1930s]] The course of the river was first discovered ten years later in [[1896]] after Dr [[Carl Lauterbach]], a [[botantist]], led an expedition organised by the ''[[German New Guinea Company|Neu Guinea Kompagnie]]'' to find the headwaters of the [[Markham River]].<ref name=Souter77>Souter (1963) p. 77</ref> After crossing the [[Ortzen Mountains]] from [[Astrolabe Bay]] south of [[Madang]], Lauterbach's party instead of finding the Markham found an unknown river flowing north-west. The party canoed along a section before their supplies dwindled they returned to the coast retracing their route.<ref name=Souter77/> Another German explorer [[Ernst Tappenbeck]], who had accompanied Lauterbach previously, led the first expedition to ascend the Ramu in [[1898]]. Tappenbeck was charged with discovering whether the ''Ottilien'' found in 1886 was the same river Lauterbech had found. He was accompanied by former Prussian Army officers, a ''Kompagnie'' official and an Australian Gold prospector Robert Phillip and travelled in the ''Neu Guinea Kompagnie'' steamer ''Herzog Johann Albrecht''.<ref name=Souter78>Souter (1963) p. 78</ref> After five days of journey up the Ramu, Tappenbeck left his companions at a well stocked camp when river water levels fell. He returned four and half months later in another steamer ''Herzogin Elisabeth'' and the party managed to navigate {{Convert|190|mi|km|-1|abbr=on}} upstream and go farther still by canoe.<ref name=Souter78/> By the end of 1898 the expedition had established a station on the river, mapped it and tributaries and made a large botanical collection.<ref name=Souter78/> Further explorations for gold and botanical specimens were conducted by the Germans. In 1902 by Hans Klink and J. Schlenzig established a new Ramu station that was later connected by a bridle track to the coast.<ref name=Souter111>Souter (1963) pp. 111-112</ref> Dr R. Schlecter led another expedition in 1902 in search of [[gutta-percha]] trees.<ref name=Souter111/> Then in 1907 an Austrian explorer [[Wilhelm Dammköhler]] led an expedition up the [[Markham Valley]] and linked the headwaters of the Markham River with the Ramu for the first time.<ref name=Souter111/> ===Australian administration and Second World War=== After the [[First World War]], German New Guinea passed over to [[Australia]]n control and became the [[Territory of New Guinea]]. The Ramu reverted to its local name during this time. In [[1936]] [[British people|Briton]], [[Walter Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne|Lord Moyne]], ventured up the Ramu river during an expedition to [[Indonesia]] and New Guinea. Moyne discovered a race of [[pygmies|pygmy]] like people inhabiting the middle Ramu region {{Convert|170|mi|km|-1}} from the mouth of the river in the Aiome foothills.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0307-3114%28193607%2F12%2966%3C269%3ATPOTAM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-M&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage |title=The Pygmies of the Aiome Mountains, Mandated Territory of New Guinea |doi=10.2307/2844082 |author=Lord Moyne |coauthor=Kathleen Haddon |month=Jul - Dec |year=1936|abbr=on |journal=The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland |volume=66 |pages=269}}</ref> During the [[Second World War]] in [[1942]] the [[Japan]]ese annexed the entire Territory of New Guinea from the Australians. Intense fighting occurred between the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] and the [[Australian Army|Australian]] and [[United States Army|US Armies]] to recapture New Guinea. During the [[Finisterre Range campaign]] in [[1943]] and [[1944]] the Ramu valley became the scene of a major battle. ==Notes and references== {{reflist}} *{{Cite book |title=New Guinea: The Last Unknown |first=Gavin |last=Souter |year=1963 ||publisher=Angus & Robertson |isbn= 0207946272}} ==Image gallery== <gallery> Image:Ramu.png|The last 300 or so kilometres of the Ramu as it winds towards the Bismarck Image:Sepik-sediment-new.png|Ramu and [[Sepik]] sediment plumes </gallery> {{Rivers of PNG}} [[Category:Rivers of Papua New Guinea]] [[de:Ramu]] [[lt:Ramu]] [[pl:Ramu]]