When civil unrest struct Bouganville island in 1988 Buka became a bustling town which replaced the twin towns of Arawa and Kieta as the capital of the region.

Buka is a safe town where business and government operate normally and disturbances are now rare. There are now umpteen hotels and guest houses catering for all the visitors to the province – mainly government officials and aid workers but also a trickle of tourists.