Portal:Papua New Guinea

The Papua New Guinea Portal

Papua New Guinea (PNG), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands (the western portion of the island is occupied by the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Irian Jaya). It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia. Its capital, and one of its few major cities, is Port Moresby. It is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies, out of a population of just under 6 million. It is also one of the most rural, with only 18 per cent of its people living in urban centres. The country is also one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea.

The country's geography is similarly diverse and, in places, extremely rugged. A spine of mountains runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands region. Dense rainforests can be found in the lowland and coastal areas. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure. In some areas, planes are the only mode of transport. After being colonised by three external powers since 1884, Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia in 1975.

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German New Guinea (Ger. Deutsch-Neuguinea) was a German protectorate from 1884 to 1914, consisting of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups.

The main part of German New Guinea was formed by Kaiser-Wilhelmsland, the northeastern part of New Guinea, now part of Papua New Guinea. The islands in the Bismarck Archipelago situated east of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland and nowadays also belonging to Papua New Guinea, were also part of the protectorate.

In addition most other German lands in the Pacific were part of German New Guinea: the German Solomon Islands (Buka, Bougainville and several smaller islands), the Carolines, Palau, the Marianas (except for Guam), the Marshall Islands and Nauru.(Read More...)

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A NASA satellite image looking over the green jungle of PNG, toward the yellow and red desert of the continent of Australia.

Did you know...

• That areas of the North Fly District in the Western Province experience a peak annual rainfall of ten metres?
• That the third of four expeditions sent in the late 19th century by French nobleman Marquis de Rays to an imaginary majestic colony called New France in present day New Ireland saw 123 settlers die of disease and famine?
• Papua New Guinea has 800 different languages, more than any other nation in the world
• The Kina, which is the official currency of Papua New Guinea was named after a shell which was used as currency before the introduction of minting?
• Papua New Guinean Prime Minister, Michael Somare was first educated in a school run by the invading Japanese in Karau during World War 2?
• Although Mount Wilhelm is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea, the highest mountain on the island is Puncak Jaya, which is the highest peak between the Himalayas and the Andes?
• Bulmer's fruit bat was thought to have been extinct for 9000 years until 1975, when it was discovered between the towns of Telefomin and Tabubil?
• If you travel by plane to Lorengau, the capital of Manus Island, the airport you land at will be on Los Negros, which is an entirely different island?
• The island of Blup Blup, which is off the coast of East Sepik Province is not part of the province at all, and is officially a self governing body?

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