The island is part of the Bismarck Archipelago and is often described as having the shape of a musket. For much of its in length, the island's width varies between less than to , yet the central mountainous spine is very steep and rugged. The highest peak is Mount Taron in the Hans Meyer Range (). Other mountain ranges are Tirpitz, Schleinitz, Verron and Rossel. The island lies between two and five degrees south of the equator. The original land cover was primarily dense rainforest.