# Rabaul

> township in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea

**Wikidata**: [Q218768](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q218768)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabaul)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/rabaul

## Summary
Rabaul is a township located in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, historically serving as the capital of German New Guinea. Established in 1878, the settlement is classified as a large human settlement (city) and sits at an elevation of 4 meters above sea level. It is a geographically and historically significant entity, documented extensively across global databases and encyclopedias.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Rabaul is defined as a city (large human settlement) and a township.
- **Inception:** The settlement was established in 1878.
- **Capital Status:** It formerly served as the capital of German New Guinea.
- **Location:** It is situated in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.
- **Coordinates:** The precise location is at latitude -4.1980555555556 and longitude 152.16805555556.
- **Elevation:** Rabaul lies 4 meters above sea level.
- **Population:** According to 2009 data, the population was 7,024.
- **UN/LOCODE:** The United Nations Location Code for the township is PGRAB.
- **GeoNames ID:** 2087894
- **VIAF ID:** 136098391
- **Wikidata Description:** Township in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
- **Image:** A view from the Vulcanology Observatory is available via Wikimedia Commons.
- **Wikipedia Presence:** The entity has a Wikipedia title "Rabaul" and is documented in 47 different languages (including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Russian).

## FAQs
**Where is Rabaul located?**
Rabaul is located in East New Britain Province within the country of Papua New Guinea. Its geographic coordinates are 4°11'53.0"S 152°10'05.0"E.

**When was Rabaul founded?**
The township of Rabaul was established in the year 1878.

**What was Rabaul's historical political role?**
Rabaul historically served as the capital of German New Guinea.

**What is the population of Rabaul?**
The recorded population of Rabaul was 7,024, based on data from the point in time of 2009.

**What are the primary identification codes for Rabaul?**
Rabaul is identified by the UN/LOCODE PGRAB, the GeoNames ID 2087894, and the GND ID 4271710-3. It also has a Yahoo! Where On Earth ID (WOEID) of 1061577.

**How is Rabaul represented in digital encyclopedias?**
Rabaul has a specific entry in the Encyclopædia Britannica Online (place/Rabaul), The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military (entry ID 6464), and the Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana.

## Why It Matters
Rabaul holds historical significance as the former capital of German New Guinea, marking it as a site of colonial administrative importance in the South Pacific. Its recognition in military dictionaries suggests a strategic relevance in conflict history, likely due to its harbor and fortification potential. The settlement's extensive documentation across over 40 languages on Wikipedia and its inclusion in major global authority files (such as the Library of Congress and VIAF) indicate its status as a notable geographic and cultural reference point. Additionally, its designation as a port city via the UN/LOCODE system underscores its ongoing role in trade and maritime logistics.

## Notable For
- **Historical Capital:** Serving as the capital of German New Guinea.
- **Low Elevation:** Situated at a very low elevation of just 4 meters above sea level.
- **Global Recognition:** Having a Wikipedia presence in 47 different languages.
- **Military Significance:** Listed in The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military.
- **Bibliographic Reach:** Possessing identification records in diverse systems ranging from the National Library of Israel to the U.S. National Archives.
- **Specific Database Associations:** Linked to "Tom Biss" in the SNARC database and "Carl von Decker" in the FactGrid database.

## Body

### Geography and Location
Rabaul is a township situated within East New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea. Geographically, it is positioned at coordinates -4.1980555555556 latitude and 152.16805555556 longitude. The township sits at a minimal elevation of 4 meters above sea level. Its classification as a "city" refers to its status as a large human settlement, though it is locally described as a township.

### Demographics and Population
The demographic data for Rabaul indicates a population of 7,024 inhabitants. This figure is specifically recorded as a snapshot from the year 2009.

### History and Administration
The inception of Rabaul dates back to 1878. A key aspect of its historical administrative function was its role as the capital of German New Guinea. This political history is further corroborated by its inclusion in "The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military," suggesting the township's strategic or operational importance during military conflicts.

### Digital and Bibliographic Identifiers
Rabaul is cataloged in a vast array of international databases and authority systems, reflecting its high profile in geographic and bibliographic metadata.
*   **Library and Authority Files:** It is listed in the Library of Congress Authority ID (n84226064), the German National Library (GND ID 4271710-3), and the NDL Authority ID (00629405) in Japan.
*   **Global Databases:** The settlement is recorded in GeoNames (ID 2087894), Freebase (/m/01src9), and VIAF (136098391).
*   **Specialized Systems:** It appears in the BBC Things database, Quora topics, and the Yale Lux system (place/5366e78c-e7a7-4dcc-8c57-1c9e9d63e520).
*   **Unique Identifiers:** Specific database entries include the SNARC ID "Tom Biss" and the FactGrid item ID "Carl von Decker." The U.S. National Archives assigns it the identifier 10044295.
*   **Trade and Commerce:** The United Nations assigns it the UN/LOCODE PGRAB, facilitating its identification in international trade.

### Media and Online Presence
The visual documentation of Rabaul includes a primary image hosted on Wikimedia Commons depicting a view from the Vulcanology Observatory, and a page banner featuring Mt Tavurvur from hot springs beach.
*   **Wikimedia:** It has a dedicated Commons gallery and category (Rabaul).
*   **Wikipedia:** The township's Wikipedia entry ("Rabaul") is highly globalized, with sitelinks in 47 languages. These include Arabic (ar), Egyptian Arabic (arz), Belarusian (be), Bulgarian (bg), Breton (br), Catalan (ca), Cebuano (ceb), Czech (cs), Danish (da), German (de), English (en), Esperanto (eo), Spanish (es), Estonian (et), Basque (eu), Persian (fa), Finnish (fi), French (fr), Hebrew (he), Armenian (hy), Indonesian (id), Italian (it), Japanese (ja), Georgian (ka), Korean (ko), Lithuanian (lt), Marathi (mr), Dutch (nl), Norwegian (no), Occitan (oc), Polish (pl), Portuguese (pt), Russian (ru), Slovak (sk), Slovenian (sl), Serbian (sr), Swedish (sv), Silesian (szl), Tok Pisin (tpi), Turkish (tr), Ukrainian (uk), Vietnamese (vi), Chinese (zh), and Cantonese (zh_yue).
*   **Mobile and Maps:** It is listed as a store ID in Google Play and has an OpenWeatherMap city ID matching its GeoNames ID.

### Naming and Aliases
The native label for the township is Rabaul. It is known by several aliases in different languages and scripts, including 拉布爾, 拉寶爾, 臘包爾, 臘包爾港 in Chinese variants, and راباول in Arabic. The Encyclopædia Britannica Online and De Agostini also list it under the standardized label "Rabaul."

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
4. GeoNames
5. BBC Things
6. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/pg.htm)
7. Quora