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"Papua New Guinea." Geography, Oceania, Q-files Encyclopedia, 1 Apr. 2026.
https://www.q-files.com/geography/oceania/papua-new-guinea.
Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.
Papua New Guinea 2026. Geography, Oceania. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from
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Geography, Oceania, s.v. "Papua New Guinea," accessed September 13, 2026.
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Papua New Guinea
Lying a hundred kilometres or so off Australia's northernmost tip is the island of New Guinea. The western half is part of Indonesia. The eastern portion is independent Papua New Guinea (sometimes abbreviated to PNG). It also includes the islands of New Ireland, New Britain and Bougainville. A mountain range runs east-west across New Guinea. The rugged slopes are covered by dense rainforest. Near the coast are grasslands and mangrove swamps. Close to the Equator, Papua New Guinea has a tropical climate. Higher up in the mountains, conditions are cooler.
People
The largest ethnic group are Papuans, descended from people who arrived in the islands from Southeast Asia tens of thousands of years ago. Others are Austronesian peoples who arrived in the last 4000 years. Although more than 800 languages are spoken in the country, nearly everyone uses a language called Tok Pisin (pidgin) to speak with one another.
Most of the population still lives in small tribal villages. These are often remote, separated by mountains or forests. Each community speaks a different language and has its own culture and traditions. They farm, hunt and fish to feed their families, just as there ancestors did before them thousands of years ago.
Economy
Papua New Guinea also has larger plantations, growing crops such as coconuts, cacao, rubber and palm oil for export. The country is rich in minerals such as gold and copper, and has reserves of natural gas and oil. However, the country’s poor roads and mountainous landscape make it difficult for these resources to be exploited.
Consultant: Nicholas Harris
Facts about Papua New Guinea
Population 10,389,635 (2023 estimate)
Area 452,860 sq km
Highest Point Mount Wilhelm 4509 m (14,793 ft)
Capital Port Moresby, population 283,733
Other major cities Lae (pop. 76,255), Arawa (40,266)
Languages Tok Pisin, English, Motu
Religions Christian (Protestant) 69%, Christian (Roman Catholic) 27%, others and indigenous beliefs 4%
Ethnicity Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Currency Papua New Guinean kina (PGK)
Chief exports oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, crayfish, prawns
History of Papua New Guinea
16th century
Islanders trade with ships from China and the Malay Empire
1526
Portuguese sailor Jorge de Meneses is the first European to visit the islands
1546
Spanish explorer Inigo Ortiz de Retes visits the main island and names it New Guinea, after Guinea in Africa
1870s
British explorers claim New Guinea for the British Empire
1884
Britain and Germany divide the eastern half of New Guinea between them; Britain rules the southern part and Germany the north
1906
Control of the southern part (Papua) is transferred to Australia
1914
Australian forces occupy German (northern) New Guinea during World War I
1921
Australia takes control of German New Guinea; it remains separate from Papua
1933
People searching for gold in the highlands discover more than a million villagers living traditional ways of life in the remote valleys
1942
During World War II, Japan occupies parts of both Papua and New Guinea
1949
Australia joins the two parts together to form the territory of Papua and New Guinea
1963
UN transfers control of western New Guinea to Indonesia
1971
The country is renamed “Papua New Guinea”
1971
Panguna mine, a copper, gold and silver mine, is opened on Bougainville Island. Operations continue until 1989.
1975
Papua New Guinea becomes independent from Australia, within the Commonwealth
1975–76
The island of Bougainville, in the east, tries to break away from the rest of the country, but the rebellion is crushed by Papua New Guinea’s government
1984–2013
In one of the worst environmental disasters caused by humans, about two billion tons of untreated mining waste is dumped from the Ok Tedi Mine, an open-pit copper and gold mine in Papua New Guinea, into the Ok Tedi River, destroying downstream villages, agriculture and fisheries.
1988–97
Rebels in Bougainville lead another uprising against the government; the government imposes a trade blockade on Bougainville
1998
(January) Ceasefire between Bougainville rebels and the government. Three major tsunamis hit the northwest coast, killing 3000 people
2001
Peace agreement signed between Bougainville rebels and national government, under which Bougainville gains greater autonomy than other provinces. It is also agreed that an independence referendum will be held in the future.
2019
A non-binding referendum for Bougainville's independence from Papua New Guinea is held, with 98% of voters in favour of independence
2024
(May) A devastating landslide in Enga province, northern Papua New Guinea, tears through the village of Yambali, burying it in rocks and debris. Thousands of people are missing.
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