Merig

Merig is a small island located 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Gaua, in the Banks Islands of northern Vanuatu.

Merig
Island
Location of Merig in Banks Islands
Merig Location in Vanuatu
Coordinates: 14°19′S 167°48′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

The 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

The 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

As 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.