Kieta, town, southeast coast of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific Ocean. The former administrative centre of Bougainville Island, it is situated on Arawa Bay (Rawa Harbour) and is a port of call with a long wharf for coastal and Australian shipping. The town trades chiefly in copra, cocoa, and small amounts of gold. Two settlements, Toniva and Nairovi, located just outside of Kieta, are considered part of that town. They grew after an increase of mining activity in the area. Nearby are the towns of Panguna and Arawa.
A secessionist uprising on Bougainville began in 1988 and caused widespread destruction, especially to the Arawa and Kieta region. After years of unrest, a peace agreement was reached in 2001, and four years later the autonomous region of Bougainville was established.