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Papua Guinea

The Independent State of Papua New Guinea (informally, 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 Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Irian Jaya occupy the western half of the island of New Guinea.) 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. There are 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 centers.more...

History of Papua Guinea

Human remains have been found on New Guinea which have been dated to ca. 60,000 years ago. These ancient inhabitants probably had their origins in Southeast Asia and established an agriculture-based civilization. Little was known in the West about the island until the 19th Century, although European explorers had discovered the island in the 16th century. The country was named in the 19th century; the word "Papua" is derived from a Malay word describing the frizzy Melanesian hair, and "New Guinea" was the name coined by a Spanish explorer because of the population's resemblance to that of Guinea in Africa.

The northern half of the country came into German hands in the late 19th Century as German New Guinea. During World War I, it was occupied by Australia, which also administered the southern part as Papua (formerly British New Guinea). The two territories were combined into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, and later simply referred to as "Papua New Guinea". more...

The Economy of Papua Guinea

GDP: $11.99 billion
GDP per capita: $2,200
Annual Growth: 0.9%
Inflation: 4.2%.
Major Industries: copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production; construction, tourism.
Major Trading Partners: Australia, Japan, China, Singapore, New Zealand (2003).
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries.
Unemployment: n.a
Exports: $2.437 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns.
Imports: $1.353 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals.

Also Read: A Brief insight in The Economy of Papua Guinea

Political System of Papua Guinea

Politics of Papua Guinea
Foreign relations of Papua Guinea
Government of Papua Guinea

Climate, Vegetation and Fauna

- People: The indigenous population of Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous in the world.more...
- Environment:
- Culture: In a country of four million people with 800 different languages, Papua New Guinea cannot be compared...more

Fact for Travellers

Visas: Passport valid for at least six months after entry required by all.more...
Health risks: The main hospitals are Port Moresby General (Papuan region), Goroka Base (Highlands) and Angau Memorial.more...
Time: GMT + 10.
Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz. Australian-style three-pin plugs are in use. Some hotels provide 110-volt outlets in guest-rooms.
Country dialing code: 675.

Geography of Papua Guinea

Papua New Guinea is mostly mountainous (highest peak: Mount Wilhelm at 4,509 m/14,793 ft) and covered with rain forest; there are small plains along the coast. Situated along a fault line, earthquakes and the resultant tsunamis are relatively common in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea is one of the regions closest to the equator that experience snowfall, which occurs in the elevated regions. The largest area of the country is on New Guinea where the largest cities are also located, including the capital Port Moresby, Lae and Mount Hagen; major islands belonging to Papua New Guinea include New Ireland, New Britain and Bougainville.

Major Tourist Attractions of Papua Guinea

The tribal diversity of a country with over 700 languages cannot easily be summarised, although in Papua New Guinea it is the tribal life that is most fascinating to the visitor. Some of the excursions in Papua New Guinea are interestingly different from those offered elsewhere; for example, tourists can be taken to one of the many wrecks of World War II aircraft that lie in the jungle. Haus Tambarans ('Spirit Houses') are a feature of many towns and villages in the country, especially in the area of the Sepik River, so only a few of them can be given specific mention. Only initiated men of a tribe can enter (though in places this rule is relaxed for foreigners). They are built in a variety of styles, with massive carved wooden supports being a major feature. Other carvings and masks inside represent spirits. The orator's stools in these places are not used for sitting on; bunches of leaves are slapped down on the stools as the orator makes his points.

Port Moresby
Port Moresby, the capital, is situated on the magnificent Fairfax Harbour. It houses the National Parliament, the National Museum, which contains exhibits of pottery from all the provinces, the Botanical Gardens and the Catholic Cathedral (which is built in the Haus Tambaran style). The National Museum contains a historical record stretching back over 50,000 years. There are many sporting facilities in Port Moresby, including scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, game fishing, water-skiing, golf, tennis and squash.

Excursions
Major attractions in the Port Moresby area include The Kokoda Trail and Sogeri, 40km (24 miles) from Port Moresby via the Sogeri road, which offers magnificent views and winds through rubber plantations; Village Arts, a government-owned artifacts shop with the best artifact collection in the country situated at Six Mile, near the airport. Other places of interest near Port Moresby include the Wairiata National Park; Moitaka Crocodile Farm; Loloata Island and the Sea Park Oceanarium.

Lae and Morobe
Lae

Lae, the capital of Morobe province, is Papua New Guinea's second city and an important commercial center and seaport. The Botanical Gardens are among the best in the country. Mount Lunaman in the center of the town was used by the Germans and the Japanese as a lookout point. It gives a magnificent view over the Huon Gulf and the Markham Valley.

Elsewhere
Outside Lae is Wau, formerly a gold-mining center. The Wau Ecology Institute, a privately funded organization, has a small museum and zoo. Visitors can see cassowaries, tree kangaroos, crocodiles, birds of paradise, native butterflies and rhododendrons. Sights near Wau are McAdam National Park and Mount Kaindi, Finschhafen (a very pretty coastal town) and the Tami Islands, whose people are renowned for their carved wooden bowls. Sialum is an attractive area of coastline known for its coral terraces. White-water rafting on the Watut River is an attraction for the adventurous.

Madang
Madang

The capital of Madang Province, Madang is an ideal starting place for many of the tours round the islands and up the Sepik River. It has a variety of shops, hotels, restaurants and markets, where storyboards depicting myths and legends can be bought. In nearby Bilbils and Yabobs, traditional pottery-making can be seen.

More Attractionsof Papua Guinea


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