Papua New Guinea
Study, Work, Volunteer and Travel in Papua New Guinea
The eastern half of the tropical island of New Guinea is occupied by Papua New Guinea. The country shares the island with Irian Jaya, an Indonesian territory, and a number of smaller or coral islands in the Pacific. Its central part consists of the Highlands whose inhabitants are separated from each other by dense forests, while the coastline is endowed with beautiful coral reefs. About 85% of the main island is dominated by tropical rain forests and vegetation that combines Australian and Asia species. It is also home to a variety of exotic birds and, more than any country in the world, is blessed with more and different kinds of orchids.
The country’s land area is measured at 178,703 square miles (462,840 sq. km.), which is the world’s 54th largest with a population estimate of 6,732,000. With a government of Federal Constitutional Monarchy and Parliamentary Democracy, it consists of 18 provinces, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and the National Capital District, which seats its capital Port Moresby.
The country is part of the Australasia eco-zone comprising Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Indonesia, and the Pacific Island groups of the Solomon Islands and Nanuatu. Its smaller island groups include the Bismarck archipelago, New Britain, and North Solomon, some of which are volcanic and with still underdeveloped mountain ranges. The mainland consists of the eastern half of New Guinea Island where the largest towns are located, including Port Moresby and Lae.
The country became self-governing on December 1, 1973 and gained its independence from Australia on September 16, 1975. As one of the most heterogeneous or diverse nations in the world, it has hundreds of ethnic groups and about 820 indigenous languages. Its religions that have the most number of adherents and followers are Christianity at 27%; Evangelical Lutheran, 19.5%; United Church, 11.5%; and Seventh Day Adventist, 10%.
