Papua New Guinea or PNG 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 south-western 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 700 indigenous languages and at least as many indigenous societies, out of a population of just over 5 million. It
is also one of the most rural, with only 18% living in urban centres.
Inhabited by a variety of Papuan and Melanesian peoples, the territory was visited by early Spanish and Portuguese explorers, though European settlement did not begin until the establishment of German and British protectorates in 1884. Australia assumed control of the British sector in 1905 and took over the German sector during World War I. The country became self-governing in 1973 and fully Independent in 1975.
Papua New Guinea has a remarkably wide appeal, perhaps wider than any other country: its diving rivals the best of the Caribbean; its wild, unobstructed inland wilderness is perfect hiking ground for any intrepid adventurer, incorporating the infamous Kokoda Trail; ecotourists are astounded by the wealth of plant life, numbered at some 9000 species; bird lovers are equally amazed by the 700 species of birds; and linguists could find no better source of inspiration than Papua New Guinea, a country with more than 700 languages.
Land, People, Economy and Government
Papua New Guinea is a wild, rugged region with limited communications; the climate is tropical. The country is divided in to 20 provinces. The native population is Melanesian. Although some 700 different languages are spoken in the region, pidgin has become the langua franca. Subsistence agriculture supports most of the population; sweet potatoes constitute the main food crop. Agricultural, notably coconut products, rubber, coffee, cocoa, tea and refined palm oil products, are increasing, but mineral deposits account for over two thirds of export earnings; silver, copper, and gold are all mined. Oil production began in 1992 and there are undeveloped natural gas reserves. Timber is another important source of revenue; the rain forests of PNG are filled with tropical timber. By the early 1990's, logging by foreign companies was threatening the environment. Pearl-shell and tortoise fisheries dot the coast. The nation has a parliamentary government with a Governor-General, representing the British Crown; a Prime Minister and cabinet; and a popularly elected unicameral parliament consisting of 109 members.
History
Papua, the southern section of the country, was annexed by Queensland in 1883 and the following year became a British protectorate called British New Guinea. It passed to Australia in 1905 as the Territory of Papua. The northern section of the country formed part of the German New Guinea from 1884 to 1914 and was called Kaiser-Wilhelmsland. Occupied by Australian forces during World War I, it was mandated to Australia by the League of Nations in 1920 and became known as the Territory of New Guinea. Australian rule was reconfirmed by the United Nations in 1947.
In 1949 the territories of Papua and New Guinea were merged administratively, but they remained constitutionally distinct. They were combined in 1973 as the self-governing country of Papua New Guinea. Full independence was gained in 1975. In the late 1980's a violent secessionist movement broke out on Bougainville. A cease-fire, monitored by Australian troops, went into effect in 1998, and a peace accord that granted the island broad autonomy was signed three years later.
Proposed cuts in defence forces as a result of economic reforms demanded by Australia and international organisations sparked a week long mutiny in 2001; the government rescinded the cuts and promised to review the mutineers concerns over foreign economic influences. Sir Michael Somare of the National Alliance party has been Prime Minister since 2002. In 2004, Australia Police Officers were deployed in Papua New Guinea as part of an aid package designed to help end gang violence and restore law and order in the country. But after the Supreme Court ruled the following year that the officer's immunity from prosecution and other aspects of the deployment were unconstitutional, Australia withdrew the contingent.
Fast Facts
| Full Name: | The Independent State of Papua New Guinea |
| Capital City: | Port Moresby |
| Area: | 462,840 sq km or 178,703 sq miles |
| Time Zone: | GMT/UTC + 10 |
| Languages: | English, Pidgin and Motu are the official languages; many indigenous languages are also spoken. |
| Religion: | 44% Protestant, 22% Catholic and 34% pantheistic beliefs |
| Currency: | Kina (K) |
Map of PNG and Provinces
Central:
Is located on the southern coast of PNG. It has a population of 183,983 (2000 census) and is 29,500 km2 in size. The provincial capital of Central province is Port Moresby, which is also the national capital, is technically located in the National Capital District rather than Central Province itself.
Simbu:
Formerly known as Chimbu, is a highland province. It has an area of 6,100km square and a population of 259,703 (2000 census). The capital of the Province is Kundiawa. Mount Wilhelm, the tallest mountain in PNG is on the border of Simbu.
Eastern Highlands:
Is a Highland Province. The provincial capital is Goroka. The province covers an area of 11,200 km2 and has a population of 432,972 (2000 census). One of the main cash crops in EHP is coffee.
East New Britain:
The capital of the province is Rabaul. East New Britain covers a total land area of 15,816 km2 with an estimated population of 220,133 (2000 census).
East Sepik:
The capital is Wewak and is located on the coast of East Sepik. The province has an estimated population of 343,180 people (2000 census) and is roughly 42,800 km2. There is a scattering of islands off shore and coastal ranges dominate the landscape just inland of the coast. The remainder of the geography is dominated by the Sepik River, which is one of the largest rivers in the world in terms of water flow and is known for flooding. River levels can alter by as much as 5 metres in the course of a year.
Enga:
Is the highest and most rugged province in PNG. It covers an area of 12,800 km2. Much of the province is at altitudes of over 2,000 metres. Population is approximately 295,031 (2000 census). The provincial capital of Enga is Wabag. The two other main centres of population are Wapenamanda and Laiagam. Porgera, located at the western edge of the province, is home to a large gold mine. Enga is unique among other PNG provinces in that it only has one major linguistic and ethnic group: Enga speakers. Sweet potato is the staple food, often supplemented by pork. Pigs are a culturally valued item of exchange and anthropologists are familiar with the elaborate systems of pig exchange that mark social life in the province. The most popular religions in Enga are Catholicism, the Lutheran Church and Seventh Day Adventism.
Gulf:
Is located on the southern coast of PNG. The provincial capital is Kerema. The 34,500 km2 province is dominated by mountains and lower river deltas and grassland flood plains, the Kikiori, Turama, Purari and Vaiala rivers all meet the sea in the Gulf Province. The Gulf has the second smallest population of all the provinces of PNG with 106,898 inhabitants (2000 census).
Madang:
This province has many of PNG's highest peaks, its most active volcanoes and its biggest mix of languages (175). The province is the country's third leading producer of cocoa and copra and second producer of cattle. Ramu sugar and Jant/Gogol woodchip mill are amongst PNG's biggest employers. The offshore islands are, in almost all cases, actively volcanic with many of the islands causing their populations to be moved to the coast on regular occasions when eruptions occur. Part of the Pacific Ocean's "ring of fire" this active volcanic region has created crater lakes, smoking volcanic cones and black sand beaches. Madang province is a large and deep region some 300 kilometres long and 160 kilometres wide with four large and many small offshore islands. The province totals 29,000 km2 and has a population of 365,106 (2000 census).
Manus:
Is the smallest province in PNG with a land area of 2,100 km2, but with more than 220,000km2 of water. The capital of the province is Lorengau and the total population is 43,387 (2000 census). The province is made up of the Admiralty Islands (a group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago) and Wuvulu Island and nearby atolls in the west. The largest islands in the group include Manus island where Lorengau is located. The primary industries are coconut cultivation and pearl fishing. Among scuba divers, the Islands have a reputation as a good diving destination with colourful marine life, coral reefs, shipwrecks and clear water.
Milne Bay:
The provinces capital is Alotau and the province covers 16,202 km2 of land and 252,990 km2 of sea. Within the province there are more than 600 islands, about 160 of these are inhabited. Milne Bay has about 210,000 inhabitants, speaking about 48 dialects. The World war II Battle of Milne Bay took place in the province. Islands in Milne Bay province include:
- The D'entrecasteaux Islands including Goodenough (Nidula), Fergusson (Moratau), Sanaroa, Dobu and Normanby (Duau)
- Trobiand Islands
- Samarai Island
- Woodlark Island
- Louisiade Archipelago, including Rossel, Tagula, Misima
- Kwato, Deca Deca Islands and Sidea Island
Morobe:
Is a province on the northern coast of PNG. The provincial capital is Lae. The province covers 34,500 km2 with a population of 539,725 (2000 census). The province has 9 administrative districts and 171 languages are spoken.
New Ireland:
Is the most north-eastern province in PNG. The island is part of the Bismarck Archipelago and is often described as having the shape of a musket. The tropical island of New Ireland is long, narrow and mountainous. For much of its 320 km length, it is less than 10 km across, yet the central mountainous spine is very steep and rugged. The highest peak is Lambel (2,150 metres or 7,054 feet). The island lies between one and five degrees south of the equator. The land area of the province is around 9,600 km2. The population is approximately 118,350 (2000 census), the vast majority of whom live in small rural villages. The provincial capital is Kavieng, on the northern tip of the main island. Also part of the province are numerous smaller islands including:
- New Hanover
- Saint Matthias Group (Mussau, Emirau)
- Tabar Group (Tabar, Tatau, Simberi)
- Tanga Group (Malendok, Boang)
- Feni islands (Ambitle, Babase)
- Djaul
- Lihir
- Anir
Northern Province - Oro:
Oro Province, formerly (and still officially) Northern Province, is a coastal province of PNG. The provincial capital is Popondetta. The province covers 22,800 km2 and has 133,062 inhabitants (2000 census). The northern end of the Kokoda Trail terminates at the village of Kokoda in the province and the active volcano Mount Lamington.
North Solomons (Bougainville):
Bougainville is part of PNG and is the largest of the Solomon Islands group. Bougainville and the adjacent island of Buka are sometimes called North Solomons are actually a province of PNG. The population is 175,160 (2000 census). The island is ecologically and geographically, although not politically, part of the Solomon Islands. The island was named after the French navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville (whose name has also been lent to the creeping tropical vines of the Bougainvillea family). The island is rich in copper and possibly gold. The Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) ostensibly reclaimed the country from corporate mining interests in the 1980's, in the form of Bougainville Copper Limited, (BCL) an Australian controlled company. The mining activity triggered a nine year secessionist revolt which claimed 20,000 lives. It ended in 1997 after negotiations brokered by New Zealand. During most of the revolt the island was also under blockade, which forced the people to supply themselves with everything from power to soap. Biodiesel was refined out of coconut oil to fuel vehicles as well as building a small hydroelectric power plant out of old vehicle plants. On June 15, 2005 the election for the first autonomous government of Bougainville, presided by Joseph Kabui, was held.
Southern Highlands:
The provincial capital is the town of Mendi. The total population is 546,265 people (2000 census), spread across 23,800 km2, which makes it the most highly populated province in the country. The province is divided into roughly four distinct geographic regions:
- The West: which includes the districts of: Tari, Koroba, Kopiago and Komo - the home of the Huli, Guna and Hewa peoples.
- The Centre: which includes the districts of Margaraima, Nipa, Mendi and the Lai Valley, and is the home of the speakers of dialects of the Anggal Heneng language.
- The East: which includes the districts of Kagua, Ialibu, Pangia and Erave, and this is the home of the speakers of the Imbongu, Kewa and Wiru languages.
- The Lowlands: which stretch across the southern part of the Southern Highlands province from the volcanic peaks of Mount Bosavi to include Oilfields of Lake Kutubu and includes the language groups of Biami (shared with Western Province) Foe and Fasu.
Western (Fly):
is a coastal province in south-western PNG, bordering the Indonesian province of Papua. The provincial capital is Daru. Western Province covers 99,300 km2 and is the largest province in PNG by area. There are 153,304 inhabitants (2000 census). There are several large rivers that run through the province including the Fly River and its tributaries including Strickland and Ok Tedi rivers. The source of one of the worst environmental disasters in the world, the Ok Tedi Mine is located near the headwaters of the Ok Tedi. The Fly is the longest river of the island of New Guinea. The first European exploration was in 1845 by Captain Blackwood in the British naval ship the Fly after which the river is named. It rises in the Star Mountains and crosses the south-western lowlands before reaching the Gulf of Papua in a large estuary. The Fly has a length if 1050 km. The largest lake in PNG lake Murray is also in the Western Province.
Western Highlands:
The provincial capital is Mount Hagen and the province covers an area of 8,500 km2 with a population of 440,025 (2000 census), making the western Highlands on of the most densely populated provinces. Tea and coffee are grown in the Western Highlands. Mount Wilhelm, the tallest mountain in PNG, is on the border of the Western Highlands.
West New Britain:
Is a province of PNG on the islands of New Britain. The provincial capital is Kimbe. The area of the province is 21,000 km2 and there are 184,508 inhabitants (2000 census). West New Britain produces palm oil for export. There are seven major tribes, the Nakanai, Bakovi, Kove, Unea, Maleu, Kaulong and Arowe, speaking a total of about 25 languages.
West Sepik (Sandaun):
Sandaun Province, formerly known as West Sepik, is the north-western most province of PNG. It covers an area of 36,300 km2 and has a population of 185,741 (2000 census). The capital is Vanimo.
National Capital District:
The National capital District (NCD) of PNG is the incorporated area around Port Moresby, which is the capital of Papua New Guinea. It covers an area of 240 km2 and has a population of 254,158 (2000 census). Although it is surrounded by Central Province, it is technically not part of that province.
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