Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua, the region is also called West Papua (Indonesian: Papua Barat). It is one of the seven geographical units of Indonesia in ISO 3166-2:ID. (Full article...)
The islands to the east of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland, on annexation, were renamed the Bismarck Archipelago (formerly the New Britannia Archipelago) and the two largest islands renamed Neupommern ('New Pomerania', today's New Britain) and Neumecklenburg ('New Mecklenburg', now New Ireland). Due to their accessibility by water, however, these outlying islands were, and have remained, the most economically viable part of the territory. (Full article...)
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Copper ore concentrator undergoing construction, c. 1971
The Panguna mine is a large copper mine located in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Panguna represents one of the largest copper reserves in Papua New Guinea and in the world, having an estimated reserve of one billion tonnes of ore copper and twelve million ounces of gold. The mine has been closed since 1989 and has ceased all production. (Full article...)
The majority of Tolais speak Kuanua as their first language (~100,000). Two other languages are spoken as first languages: Lungalunga and Bilur, each with approximately 2,000 speakers.
The Tolais almost universally define themselves as Christian and are predominantly Roman Catholic and United Church. Christianity was introduced to the island when Methodist ministers and teachers from Fiji arrived in the New Guinea islands region in 1875. However, in 1878 when some of the tribespeople ate four of the missionaries, the Englishman who led the missionaries, George Brown, directed and took part in a punitive expedition that resulted in a number of Tolais being killed and several villages burnt down. (Full article...)
Japanese settlement in the Territory of Papua and German New Guinea (in what now constitutes modern-day Papua New Guinea) dates back to the early 20th century when migrants from Japan established copra plantations and trading businesses in the islands, specifically Rabaul. The Japanese community remained small throughout the first half of the 20th century, although there were Japanese migrating in and out of New Guinea in different years from 1901 to 1945, it generally never exceeded more than 100 as a whole community. Some Japanese stayed for short terms and were replaced by newer emigrants from Japan, others stayed for longer periods depending on their roles. Most Japanese in Papua were businessmen and plantation managers, although a few became fishermen. As almost all the migrants were men, many of them married local Papuan wives and raised mixed-race Japanese-Papuan families while other Japanese men staying only for short periods also had sexual cohabitations with local Papuan women, but in most cases without marrying. Many of them did produce offspring but they were generally abandoned by their Japanese fathers (some of whom were already married with children in Japan) and raised by their single Papuan mothers or sent to the orphanage. These abandoned mixed-race children's were recorded as ethnic Papuans in the census as the ethnicity of their fathers was unknown.
During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded New Guinea with 350,000 troops and occupied most of its territory from January 1942 to August 1945. Some Papuan women including mixed-race Japanese-Papuan women were forced to become comfort women. Most Japanese in the unoccupied areas of New Guinea were deported to Australia where they were confined. The majority of them were repatriated to Japan after the war, although their mixed-race children were allowed to remain behind and assimilated with the local populace. Official estimates show 207 Japanese-Papuan mixed descendants. (Full article...)
The flag is used by the Free Papua Organization and other independence supporters. Under Papua's Special Autonomy Law, ratified in 2002, the flag may be raised in Western New Guinea (West Papua) region so long as the flag of Indonesia is also raised, with the latter raised higher than the Morning Star flag. (Full article...)
With a population of 398,478 according to the 2020 census, Jayapura is the most populous city in the entire island of New Guinea, surpassing Port Moresby, the national capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. During the 2010-2020 decade it was also the fastest-growing city in Indonesia, with the population increasing by 55.23% between 2010 and 2020. The official estimate as at mid 2023 was 414,862 (comprising 220,024 males and 194,838 females).
The white-lipped tree frog (Nyctimystes infrafrenatus) is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is the world's largest tree frog (the Cuban tree frog reaches a similar maximum size) and is found in Australia. Other common names include the New Guinea treefrog, giant tree frog, and Australian giant treefrog. (Full article...)
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Port Moresby (/ˈmɔːrzbi/ⓘ; Tok Pisin: Pot Mosbi), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Zealand. It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the south-western coast of the Papuan Peninsula of the island of New Guinea. The city emerged as a trade centre in the second half of the 19th century. During World War II, it was a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia from Southeast Asia and the Americas. Due to its population and outsized influence compared to other cities in Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby may be regarded as a primate city.
As of the 2011 census, Port Moresby had 364,145 inhabitants. An unofficial 2020 estimate gives the population as 383,000. The place where the city was founded has been inhabited by the Motu-Koitabu people for centuries. The first Briton to see it was Royal Navy Captain John Moresby in 1873. It was named in honour of his father, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby.
Sir Julius Chan (29 August 1939 – 30 January 2025) was a Papua New Guinean politician who served as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to 1997. He was Member of Parliament for New Ireland Province, having won the seat in the 2007 national election. He was also the Governor of New Ireland Province from 2007 until his death in 2025. On 26 May 2019, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced he would soon resign and that he wished for Sir Julius to succeed him. An outgoing Prime Minister does not, however, have the power to appoint his successor, and the following day O'Neill delayed his own formal resignation. He was also a leading figure in his country during the years-long Bougainville conflict. (Full article...)
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NASA satellite image (Geocover 2000)
Kiwai Island is the largest island in the Fly River delta, Papua New Guinea. It is one of the Torres Strait Islands. It is 59 km (37 mi) long along the northwest–southeast axis from Wamimuba Point in the northwest to the village of Saguane (Sanguane) in the south, and up to 9 km (5.6 mi) wide, with an average width of 5.6 km (3.5 mi). Its area is 359 km2 (139 sq mi). Neighboring Purutu and Wabuda Islands to the north and northeast are also among the three largest islands in the Fly River delta. A language study mentioned a population of about 4,500, but the census of population of 2000 showed only 2,092 inhabitants.
The island separates the north and south entrances of the Fly River. It is well wooded and only a few feet above water. The chief village, Iasa, is located on the south side of the island. Sumai village is on the same side of the island and 24 km (15 mi) farther northwest. Doropo village is about midway along the north side of the island. At the east end of the island are other small villages, such as Sagasia, Ipisia, Agobara and Oromosapuo.
The Australian boobook (Ninox boobook), is a species of owl native to mainland Australia, southern New Guinea, the island of Timor, and the Sunda Islands. Described by John Latham in 1801, it was generally considered to be the same species as the morepork of New Zealand until 1999. Its name is derived from its two-tone boo-book call. Eight subspecies of the Australian boobook are recognized, with three further subspecies being reclassified as separate species in 2019 due to their distinctive calls and genetics.
The smallest owl on the Australian mainland, the Australian boobook is 27 to 36 cm (10.5 to 14 in) long, with predominantly dark-brown plumage with prominent pale spots. It has grey-green or yellow-green eyes. It is generally nocturnal, though sometimes it is active at dawn and dusk, retiring to roost in secluded spots in the foliage of trees. The Australian boobook feeds on insects and small vertebrates, hunting by pouncing on them from tree perches. Breeding takes place from late winter to early summer, using tree hollows as nesting sites. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the Australian boobook as being of least concern on account of its large range and apparently stable population. (Full article...)
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Papua New Guinea Defence Force emblem
The Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Papua New Guinea. It originated from the Australian Army land forces of the territory of Papua New Guinea before independence, coming into being in January 1973 and having its antecedents in the Pacific Islands Regiment. The PNGDF is a small force, numbering around 3,600 personnel, and consists of a Land Element, an Air Element and a Maritime Element. It is a joint force tasked with defending Papua New Guinea and its territories against external attack, as well as having secondary functions including national-building and internal security tasks.
Defence accounts for less than 2% of GDP, while also receiving significant assistance and training support from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and other nations.
The PNGDF Land Element includes two infantry battalions, an engineer battalion, a signal squadron, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, and a preventive medicine platoon. The Air Element is a small air wing operating three light transport aircraft and two leased helicopters. The Maritime Element consists of four Guardian-class patrol boats and two landing crafts. The army is under the direct command of Headquarters PNGDF, while the air wing and navy have their own commanding officers. The PNGDF does not have a Commander-in-Chief but rather a Commander who advises the Minister for Defence. Allegiance is sworn to the King of Papua New Guinea, Presently Charles III, and the realm of Papua New Guinea. The PNGDF is under the control of the National Executive Council through the Minister for Defence. (Full article...)
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Aerial view of the Fly River
The Fly River is the third longest river on the island of New Guinea, after the Sepik and Mamberamo, with a total length of 1,060 km (660 mi). It is the largest by volume of discharge in Oceania, the largest in the world without a single dam in its catchment, and overall the 20th-largest primary river in the world by discharge volume. It is located in the southwest of Papua New Guinea and in the South Papua province of Indonesia. It rises in the Victor Emanuel Range arm of the Star Mountains, and crosses the south-western lowlands before flowing into the Gulf of Papua in a large delta. The Fly–Strickland River system has a total length of 1,220 km (760 mi), making it the longest river system of an island in the world. The 824 km (512 mi) Strickland is the longest and largest tributary of Fly River, making it the farthest distance source of the Fly River. (Full article...)
... that artifacts of Papua New Guinean art were called "living spirits with fixed abodes"?
... that until Rufina Peter and Kessy Sawang's election in August 2022, Papua New Guinea was one of only three countries without a woman in parliament?
... that Australian official Jack Emanuel was awarded the George Cross in 1971 after being stabbed to death whilst trying to resolve a land dispute with the Tolai people of New Guinea?
Image 4The lowland rainforest of the Western New Guinea (from Western New Guinea)
Image 5An Australian soldier, Private George "Dick" Whittington, is aided by Papuan orderly Raphael Oimbari, near Buna on 25 December 1942. (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Image 34New Guinea from 1884 to 1919. The Netherlands controlled the western half of New Guinea, Germany the north-eastern part, and Britain the south-eastern part. (from New Guinea)
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Western New Guinea was formally annexed by Indonesia in 1969. (from New Guinea)
A section of Trans-Papua Highway connecting Deiyai and Mimika in Central Papua (from Western New Guinea)
Sentani International Airport in Jayapura is the principal point of entry to Papua (from Western New Guinea)
The lowland rainforest of the Western New Guinea (from Western New Guinea)
An Australian soldier, Private George "Dick" Whittington, is aided by Papuan orderly Raphael Oimbari, near Buna on 25 December 1942. (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Youtefa Bridge, currently the longest bridge in Papua (from Western New Guinea)
Group of natives at Mairy Pass. Mainland of British New Guinea in 1885. (from New Guinea)
A Japanese military map of New Guinea from 1943 (from New Guinea)
Fort Du Bus in 1828 (from Western New Guinea)
New Guinea from 1884 to 1919. Germany and Britain controlled the eastern half of New Guinea. (from History of Papua New Guinea)
New Guinea Volunteer Rifles with captured Japanese flag, 1942 (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Culture parade in Biak (from Western New Guinea)
Free West Papua protest in Melbourne, Australia, August 2012. (from Western New Guinea)
Paradisaea apoda, native to Papua, displaying its feathers (from Western New Guinea)
Regions of Oceania: Australasia, Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Physiographically, Australasia includes the Australian landmass (including Tasmania), New Zealand, and New Guinea (from New Guinea)
Korowai tribesman (from New Guinea)
Hoisting the German flag at Mioko in 1884 (from History of Papua New Guinea)
New Guinea located in relation to Melanesia (from New Guinea)
Map showing the combined landmass of Sahul formed during Pleistocene glacations (from New Guinea)
West Papuan separatists raising the Morning-Star flag in the jungles of Papua, 1971 (from Western New Guinea)
Dutch expeditions in Netherlands New Guinea 1907–1915. (from Western New Guinea)
Koiari village near Bootless Inlet, British New Guinea (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Dutch colonial civil servant in the Baliem Valley, 1958 (from Western New Guinea)
Mount Bosavi (from New Guinea)
Fishing boats in Biak (from Western New Guinea)
Papeda, a notable dish originating from Eastern Indonesia (from Western New Guinea)
Australian soldiers resting in the Finisterre Ranges of New Guinea while en route to the front line (from New Guinea)
Political divisions of New Guinea (2006) (from New Guinea)
The floristic region of Malesia (from New Guinea)
Map of New Guinea, with place names as used in English in the 1940s (from New Guinea)
Dutch and Papuan officials during the opening of the Central Hospital in Hollandia, 1959 (from Western New Guinea)
Yali in the Yahukimo Regency (from Western New Guinea)
Jayapura, the most populous and largest city on the island of New Guinea (Papua) (from New Guinea)
The raggiana bird-of-paradise is native to New Guinea. (from New Guinea)
A typical map from the Golden Age of Netherlandish cartography. Australasia during the Golden Age of Dutch exploration and discovery (ca. 1590s–1720s): including Nova Guinea (New Guinea), Nova Hollandia (mainland Australia), Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), and Nova Zeelandia (New Zealand). (from History of Papua New Guinea)
The Sukarno-era West Irian Liberation Monument in Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta. (from Western New Guinea)
Highlands of Papua New Guinea (from New Guinea)
The king bird-of-paradise is one of over 300 bird species on the peninsula. (from Western New Guinea)
New Guinea crocodile (from New Guinea)
Topographical map of New Guinea (from New Guinea)
Coral reefs in Papua New Guinea (from New Guinea)
Dorcopsis hageni, native to northern region of New Guinea. (from Western New Guinea)
Papua New Guinea map of Köppen climate classification (from New Guinea)
Kerepunu women at the marketplace of Kalo, British New Guinea, 1885 (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Grasberg Mine in Mimika Regency. Mining is the most important sector in the province (from Western New Guinea)
Trans-New Guinea languages (multi-coloured), Austronesian languages (gold), and other languages (grey) (from Western New Guinea)
Yali Mabel, Kurulu Village War Chief at Baliem Valley (from New Guinea)
Skouw border checkpoint, on the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border (from Western New Guinea)
Since 2002, display of the flag of West Papua is allowed in West Papua only if accompanied by, and not raised higher than, the flag of Indonesia. (from Western New Guinea)
Female gable image, Sawos people, Oceanic art in the Bishop Museum (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Sago is a typical Papuan food, which is usually made into papeda. (from Western New Guinea)
Australian forces attack Japanese positions during the Battle of Buna–Gona, 7 January 1943. (from History of Papua New Guinea)![Image 64M.S. Rumagesan, Silas Papare, N.L.Suwages, Soegoro Atmoprasodjo [id], and A.H. Nasution in Putra-putra Irian Barat ('Sons of Irian Barat') Conference in Cibogo Bogor, 14–15 April 1961 (from Western New Guinea)](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/MS_Rumagesan%2C_Silas_Papare%2C_NL_Suwages%2C_Sugoro%2C_dan_AH_Nasution_berbincang-bincang%2C_Konferensi_Cibogo.jpg/120px-MS_Rumagesan%2C_Silas_Papare%2C_NL_Suwages%2C_Sugoro%2C_dan_AH_Nasution_berbincang-bincang%2C_Konferensi_Cibogo.jpg)
M.S. Rumagesan, Silas Papare, N.L.Suwages, Soegoro Atmoprasodjo, and A.H. Nasution in Putra-putra Irian Barat ('Sons of Irian Barat') Conference in Cibogo Bogor, 14–15 April 1961 (from Western New Guinea)
Australian troops at Milne Bay, Papua.The Australian garrison was the first to inflict defeat on the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II at the Battle of Milne Bay of Aug–Sep 1942. (from History of Papua New Guinea)
The Nagarakertagama mentioned a region in the east called Wanin, present-day Onin Peninsula in the Fakfak Regency, West Papua (from Western New Guinea)
Papuans on the Lorentz River, photographed during the third South New Guinea expedition in 1912–13 (from New Guinea)
Australian patrol officer in 1964 (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Handover ceremony of West Irian Governorship from Jan Bonay to Frans Kaisiepo, 1965 (from Western New Guinea)
British flag raised in Queensland 1883 (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Flag under German control of New Guinea. (from History of Papua New Guinea)
Rp 0.12 Indonesian stamp of 1963. (from Western New Guinea)
The rugged and mountainous topography of Western New Guinea. (from Western New Guinea)
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![Image 64M.S. Rumagesan, Silas Papare, N.L.Suwages, Soegoro Atmoprasodjo [id], and A.H. Nasution in Putra-putra Irian Barat ('Sons of Irian Barat') Conference in Cibogo Bogor, 14–15 April 1961 (from Western New Guinea)](/wiki/File:MS_Rumagesan,_Silas_Papare,_NL_Suwages,_Sugoro,_dan_AH_Nasution_berbincang-bincang,_Konferensi_Cibogo.jpg)
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