, tok-pisin and hiri-motu

Capital Port Moresby The largest city Port Moresby Form of government A constitutional monarchy Queen
Governor General
Prime Minister Elizabeth II
Polias Matane
Michael Somare Territory
Total
% water surface 54th in the world
462,840 km²
2 Population
Grade ()
Density
6,057,263 people (104th)
13 people/km² GDP
total()
Per capita
14.363 billion (126th)
2,418 Currency kina Internet domain .pg Telephone code +675 Timezone UTC +10

Papua New Guinea, full title Independent State of Papua New Guinea(English) Papua New Guinea [ˈpæpuːə njuː ˈɡɪni](i.e. ˈpɑːpuːə, ˈpæpjuːə), tok-pisin Papua Niugini, hiri-motu Papua Niu Gini) - a state in Oceania, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, occupies the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the northern part of the Solomon Islands (Bougainville Islands, Buka) , D'Antrecasto Islands and others. Area - 462,840 km². The population is about 6 million people (), mainly Papuans and Melanesians. Urban population - 15.2% (). The official languages ​​are English, Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu. Most of the population is Christian, the rest adhere to local traditional beliefs. Administrative-territorial division: 20 provinces. The capital is Port Moresby. Included in the Commonwealth of Nations. The head of state is the Queen, represented by a Governor General. The legislature is the National Parliament.

Name

Name "Papua" comes from the Malay word "papua", which in translation into Russian means "curly" (according to another version from "orang papua" - "curly black-headed man"). This name was given to the island of New Guinea by the Portuguese Menezes in 1526, noting the shape of the hair of the locals. In 1545, Ortiz de Retes visited the island and gave it the name "New Guinea", since, in his opinion, the locals were similar to the natives of Guinea in Africa (he may have seen the similarity of the coasts of the new island and African Guinea).

From the beginning of European colonization until independence, the country changed its official name several times. The southeastern part was called British New Guinea in 1884-1906, and Papua (under Australian control) in 1906-1949. The northeastern part was first a colony of Germany and in 1884-1920 was called German New Guinea (since 1914 under the control of Australia), and in 1920-1949, according to the decision of the League of Nations, it was renamed the Territory of New Guinea, mandated by Australia. In 1949, the two Australian colonies were merged into one, the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. In 1972, the province was named Territory of Papua New Guinea. Since 1975, the name Papua New Guinea has become the official name for the newly independent state.

Physical and geographical characteristics

Geographical position and relief

The state of Papua New Guinea is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, north of Australia and not far from the equator. The country occupies the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, located to the northeast of it, the Bismarck Archipelago (which includes the large islands of New Britain, New Ireland, as well as the Admiralty Islands, Tabar, Lihir, Tanga, Feni, St. Matthias and others), located to the east, the northern part of the Solomon Islands (with the largest islands from Bougainville and Buka), located southeast of the main island of D "Antrecasto, Murua (Woodlark), Trobriand, the Louisiade archipelago, as well as other nearby islands and reefs (more than 600 in total ).

Papua New Guinea is washed by the Arafura, Coral, Solomon and New Guinea Seas, as well as the Pacific Ocean. The country is separated from Australia by the Torres Strait, about 160 km wide. The state has a land border only with Indonesia (in the west), which is drawn along the 141 meridian and only in a small area deviates to the west along with the river Fly. It borders by sea with Australia (in the south), the Solomon Islands (in the southeast), Nauru (in the east) and the Federated States of Micronesia (in the north).

The Fly platform is a lowland composed of sedimentary deposits that accumulated from the Mesozoic era to the Quaternary period. The orogenic zone of New Guinea consists of various deformed sedimentary, metamorphic and volcanic rocks (including intrusive ones). This zone includes areas of folding (Papuan, New Guinean thrust belt, Oeun-Stanley thrust belt), island arcs (Melanesian arcs) and inland small sea basins.

The Papua folded region with the Central Range and the Papua Plateau is formed by horizontal compression of rocks and is covered with a thick layer of sedimentary carbonate deposits of the Miocene time. The New Guinean thrust belt is located north of the Papuan folding and is represented in the relief by the Coastal Mountains. It is composed predominantly of gneisses, formed at moderate pressures during the metamorphism of sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Less common are gneisses formed at high pressures. The thrust belt was formed in two stages: in the southern part, activity was noted in the late Cretaceous period, and in the northern part - Eocene-Oligocene (with the formation of intrusive gabbro and basalt minerals in the Torricelli mountains). The Owen-Stanley thrust belt was formed southwest of the Papuan folded area as a result of a strike-slip, hardly noticeable in the modern relief. The belt is composed of sedimentary rocks accumulated from the Cretaceous to the Miocene, with inclusions of high-pressure metamorphic rocks.

Soils

Hydrology

The islands that make up Papua New Guinea have a fairly dense river network. Rivers originate in the mountains and flow into the ocean. During heavy rains, rivers overflow and flood large areas, turning many areas into swamps. There are especially many swamps on the island of New Guinea. With the wide distribution of wetlands, the spread of malaria is also associated.

Climate

Dense rainforests, formed by hundreds of tree species, rise up the slopes of the mountains. However, now there are also plantations and orchards. Coconut palms, bananas, sugarcane, melon tree, tubers - taro, yams, sweet potatoes, cassava and other crops grow. Gardens alternate with forests. Plots of land are cultivated for only 2-3 years, then overgrown with forest for 10-12 years. Thus fertility is restored.

Above 1000-2000 m, forests become more uniform in composition, conifers begin to predominate in them, especially araucaria. These trees are of economic importance: their wood is a valuable building material. However, the delivery of sawn timber is difficult due to the paucity of good roads.

The highlands of New Guinea are covered with shrubs and meadows. In the intermountain basins, where the climate is drier, herbaceous vegetation is widespread, which arose in place of forests mainly as a result of fires.

The fauna of the country is represented by reptiles, insects and especially numerous birds. For the fauna of mammals, as in neighboring Australia, only representatives of marsupials are characteristic - bandicoot (marsupial badger), wallaby (tree kangaroo), couscous, etc. In the forests and on the coast there are many snakes, including poisonous ones, and lizards. Crocodiles and turtles are found near the sea coasts and in large rivers. Of the birds, cassowaries, birds of paradise, crowned pigeons, parrots, weed chickens (ancestors of domestic chickens) are characteristic. Europeans brought domestic chickens, dogs and pigs to the island. Feral pigs, as well as rats, field mice and some other animals have spread widely throughout the country.

Story

By the time of European colonization, what is now Papua New Guinea was inhabited by Papuans and Melanesians. They lived in Stone Age conditions, hunting, fishing and gathering.

New Guinea was discovered in 1526 by the Portuguese navigator Jorge de Menezes. The name of the island was given by the Spanish navigator Ortiz de Retis in 1545, seeing the similarity of the population with the population of African Guinea.

Exploration of the island and the penetration of Europeans there began only in the 19th century. Thus, the Russian researcher N. Miklukho-Maclay lived among the Papuans for a total of almost four years (in the 1870s and early 1880s).

The northeastern part with the adjacent islands - the Bismarck Archipelago and others (the name New Guinea was later assigned to this territory) was captured by Germany in the 1880s, after the First World War, in 1920 it was transferred to Australia as a mandated territory of the League of Nations (later - UN Trust Territory).

Papua New Guinea is very rich in natural resources, but their use is difficult due to the conditions of the terrain and the high costs of infrastructure development. Nevertheless, the development of deposits of copper ore, gold and oil provides almost two-thirds of foreign exchange earnings.

GDP per capita in 2009 - 2.3 thousand dollars (182nd place in the world).

Industry (37% of GDP) - oil extraction and processing, gold, silver, copper ore mining, copra processing, palm oil production, wood processing, construction.

Agriculture (33% of GDP, 85% of employees) - coffee, cocoa, copra, coconuts, tea, sugar, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables, vanilla; seafood, poultry, pigs.

Service sector - 30% of GDP.

Export - 5.7 billion dollars in 2008 - oil, gold, copper ore, timber, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crabs, shrimp.

The main export buyers are Australia 27.2%, Japan 9.2%, China 5.1%.

Import - 3.1 billion dollars in 2008 - vehicles, manufactured goods, food, fuel.

The main import suppliers are Australia 42.6%, Singapore 15.6%, China 11%, Japan 5.8%, Malaysia 4.3%.

culture

Social sphere

see also

• The ancient agricultural settlement of Kuka, showing the isolated development of agriculture over 7-10 millennia and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Notes

1. (Russian). Geography.su: Geographic atlas for students. - Invasion Part 1. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
2. Butinov, N. A. Brief historical information // Peoples of Papua New Guinea (From a tribal system to an independent state) / Ed. A. M. Reshetova. - St. Petersburg: Petersburg Oriental Studies, 2000. - S. 17-20. - 382 p. - ISBN 5-85803-146-3
3. Birds of paradise island. History of Papua New Guinea (Malakhovsky K.V.) (Russian). Geography.su: Geographic atlas for students. - Colonial section, part 2. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
4. Birds of paradise island. History of Papua New Guinea (Malakhovsky K.V.) (Russian). Geography.su: Geographic atlas for students. - Colonial section, part 3. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
5. Birds of paradise island. History of Papua New Guinea (Malakhovsky K.V.) (Russian). Geography.su: Geographic atlas for students. - Under Australian dominance, part 2. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
6. Birds of paradise island. History of Papua New Guinea (Malakhovsky K.V.) (Russian). Geography.su: Geographic atlas for students. - Under Australian dominance, part 5. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
7. History of Papua New Guinea. History of Nations. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
8. Ingrid Gascoigne Geography // Papua New Guinea. Cultures of the World Series. - 2. - Marshall Cavendish, 2009. - S. 7.8. - 144 p. - ISBN 9780761434160
9. ON THE. Butinov Natural conditions // Papuans of New Guinea / S.A. Tokarev. - Moscow: "Nauka", 1968. - S. 13-19. - 254 p.
10. Northern New Guinea montane rain forests (AA0116) . World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
11. Papua New Guinea Geology. Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
12. PAPUA NEW GUINEA. DEPARTMENT OF MINING. INFORMATION BOOKLET 2003. The European Shareholders of Bougainville Copper. Retrieved April 24, 2010.

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New Guinea
indon. Pulau Irian New Guinea, talk pisin Niugini
Political division of New Guinea
Characteristics
Square	786,000 km²
highest point	4884 m
Population	9 500 000 people (2010)
Population density	12.09 people/km²
Location
5°19′S sh. 141°36′ E d.
water area	Pacific Ocean
Countries
Regions	West Papua, Papua, Momase, Papua, Highlands
New Guinea at Wikimedia Commons

New Guinea(Indon. Pulau Irian, English New Guinea, tok-pisin Niugini) - an island in the western Pacific Ocean, the second largest island (after Greenland), the island's area is 786 thousand km². Separated from Australia by the Torres Strait. From the south it is washed by the Arafura and Coral Seas. The climate is equatorial and subequatorial. Tropical rainforests grow. The western part of the island is a territory, while the eastern part is occupied by a state.

Geography

Located in the western Pacific Ocean, the island of New Guinea is located north of Australia (separated from it by the Torres Strait) and is its link with. From the point of view of physical geography, it usually refers to. Politically, the island is divided approximately equally between and, so the western Indonesian part is often referred to as Asia from a political and economic point of view. The island is the largest island divided between countries. The length of the island is more than 2000 km, the width is more than 700 km.

In the western part rises the Maoke mountain range, the highest peak of which under the name of Puncak Jaya reaches 4884 m above sea level. To the east are the Bismarck Mountains, whose highest point - Mount Wilhelm - has 4509 m. The longest river of the island is the Sepik River.

Flora and fauna

New Guinea is a tropical island and therefore has a very large variety of species. It is home to 11,000 plant species, 600 unique bird species, over 400 amphibian species, 455 butterfly species, and about a hundred known mammal species.

Along the coast of the island of New Guinea, a wide (in some places up to 35 km) strip of mangrove vegetation stretches. This swampy zone is completely impassable and can only be crossed by sailing along the rivers. Thickets of wild sugarcane grow along the rivers, and groves of sago palms grow in wetlands.

Illustration of "Birds of New Guinea" from the Zooatlas 1938

Dense rainforests, formed by hundreds of tree species, rise up the slopes of the mountains. However, now there are also plantations and orchards. Grow coconut palms, bananas, sugar cane, melon tree, tubers - taro, yams, sweet potato, cassava and other crops. Gardens alternate with forests. Plots of land are cultivated for only 2-3 years, then overgrown with forest for 10-12 years. Thus fertility is restored.

Above 1000-2000 m, the forests become more uniform in composition, coniferous species, especially araucaria, begin to predominate in them. These trees are of economic importance: their wood is a valuable building material. However, the delivery of sawn timber is difficult due to the paucity of good roads.

The highlands of New Guinea are covered with shrubs and meadows. In the intermountain basins, where the climate is drier, herbaceous vegetation is widespread, which arose in place of forests mainly as a result of fires.

The fauna is represented by reptiles, insects and especially numerous birds. For the fauna of mammals, as in neighboring Australia, only representatives of marsupials are characteristic - bandicoot (marsupial badger), wallaby (tree kangaroo), couscous, etc. In the forests and on the coast there are many snakes, including poisonous ones, and lizards. Crocodiles and turtles are found near the sea coasts and in large rivers. Of the birds, cassowaries, birds of paradise, crowned pigeons, parrots, weed chickens are characteristic. Europeans brought domestic chickens, dogs and pigs to the island. Feral pigs, as well as rats, field mice and some other animals have spread widely throughout the island.

"Garden of Eden"

In 2005, a group of American researchers discovered a place in the rainforests of the mountainous region of New Guinea, which they called the "Garden of Eden".

This area of ​​about 300 thousand hectares is located on the slopes of the Foggia Mountains in the western part of New Guinea and was isolated from the influence of the outside world.

Scientists have discovered more than 20 previously unknown species of frogs, four new species of butterflies, five species of palm trees unknown to science, and many other plants in the Garden of Eden. Several species of the rarest marsupials were found - tree kangaroos, as well as the six-feathered "bird of paradise" Berlepsha, previously considered extinct.

All animals - the inhabitants of the highlands - are not afraid of humans, in particular, the rare long-beaked prochidna allowed scientists to pull themselves together.

Story

Early history

In ancient times, New Guinea was connected to Australia. The division occurred as a result of rising global sea levels relatively recently. This explains the presence in New Guinea of ​​numerous species of marsupials living in Australia. Human settlement occurred at least 45 thousand years BC. e. from Asia. Subsequently, more than a thousand Papuan tribes descended from the settlers. The absence of large animals suitable for domestication on the island hindered the development of agriculture and made cattle breeding impossible. This contributed to the preservation of the primitive communal system in large areas of New Guinea up to the present day. The diversity of languages ​​and many tribes was due to the isolation of people from each other due to the mountainous landscape and the lack of technical means to promote communication and cultural exchange.

On the territory of New Guinea, there is an ancient agricultural settlement of Kuka, showing the isolated development of agriculture over 7-10 millennia and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Discovery by Europeans

Long before the discovery of New Guinea by Europeans, inhabitants of the ancient Indonesian states hunted here for slaves and exotic birds. Already in the 8th century, the lords of the Srivijaya empire from the island gave the Chinese emperors of the Tang Dynasty black slaves caught on the New Guinean shores and many parrots. On the bas-reliefs of the largest Javanese temple of Borobudur (the first half of the 9th century), one can see images of such “orang papua” - curly-haired people.

The discoverers of New Guinea were also navigators at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1526, the Portuguese don Jorge de Menezes landed on the northwestern coast of the island, according to legend, he called the lands he discovered Ilhas dos Papuas- "Islands of Papua", from the Malay word meaning "curly"; apparently, the coarse curly hair of the Melanesian natives was meant.

Later, in 1545, the Spaniard Iñigo Ortiz de Retes passed by the island on his way from the Moluccas to Mexico and named it "New Guinea", because the coast reminded him of the shores that he had seen before. Perhaps he drew attention to the fact that in Africa and the newly discovered land near Australia were at opposite points on the globe, and it was this circumstance that prompted him to give the new land such a name.

The Portuguese governor of the Moluccas, Jorge de Menezes, named New Guinea "Ilyas dos Papuas" (Island of the Papuans). The name Nueva Guinea can already be found on the world map of the Flemish cartographer Mercator (1595). The Spaniard Luis Vaes de Torres, setting off from () in 1606 and sailing south of a huge mountainous island, found a new way to a distant land of spices, opening the Torres Strait. Soon, Spanish merchants began to export gold, silver, coconuts, rubber and precious woods from New Guinea.

A significant contribution to the study of the peoples of New Guinea was made by the Russian scientist and traveler N. N. Miklukho-Maclay, who worked on the island in the 70s - 80s of the XIX century.

The era of colonialism

In 1828, the western peninsula of Vogelkop was acquired as the first power.

In the 1870s, the territory was explored by Russian scientists. In 1875, the scientist N. N. Miklukho-Maclay asked the government of the Russian Empire to establish a Russian protectorate over part of the island, which was later named after the scientist Miklukho-Maclay Coast, but Alexander II rejected his proposal.

In the 1880s, the rest of the island was divided between the Netherlands and the German Empire. The Netherlands left the western half of New Guinea, the British acquired the southeast, the Germans - the northeast, which they called Kaiser Wilhelm Land. In 1885 and in 1895, Great Britain and Germany, who owned lands in the eastern part of New Guinea, recognized the authority of the Netherlands over the western part of the island. The border between Dutch New Guinea and its eastern part ran along 141 degrees east longitude.

The British part was given to Australia in 1906, and the German part after the First World War became an Australian mandate of the League of Nations.

The Second World War

During World War II the island was occupied. Rejected by the atrocities of the Japanese military, the Papuans helped the Allied forces as best they could, transporting equipment and the wounded across the island. After the war, New Guinea, which became independent in 1949, laid claim to the western part of New Guinea, which, however, remained under the administration of the Netherlands.

Independence

From 1957, the Netherlands and Australia began making plans to grant independence to a united New Guinea in the 1970s. In 1961, elections were held in the western part and a parliament was established. Not wanting such a political development, Indonesia, in response to this, brought in its troops and announced the annexation of the western half of the island of New Guinea to Indonesia. After that, mass deportations of the Papuan population began, followed by settlers from Java. It is assumed that as a result of the "ethnic cleansing" of western New Guinea, about 300,000 Papuans have died to this day. In 1975 in the eastern part of Australia gave independence to the state of Papua New Guinea.

see also

• new guinea singing dog
• Mangroves of New Guinea

Notes

1. ISLAND DIRECTORY TABLES. ISLANDS BY LAND AREA. EARTHWATCH (02/18/1998).
2. New Guinea // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.

Literature

• Ignatiev G. M. Tropical Pacific Islands / Reviewers: Dr. Geogr. Sciences T. V. Vlasova, Ph.D. geogr. Sciences G. N. Grigoriev. - M.: Thought, 1979. - S. 144-168. - 272, p. - 56,000 copies.

Papua New Guinea is an independent state in Oceania. It occupies the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, the northern part of the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck and Louisiade archipelago and more than two hundred other small reefs and islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

The etymology of the name of the state is interesting. It comes from the Malay papua", which is translated into Russian as" curly". The island received this name in 1526 from the Portuguese Menezes, who was surprised by the hair of the local population. After 20 years, Iñigo Ortiz de Retes arrived on the island, who gave this place the name of New Guinea. In his opinion, the locals were like the Guinean aborigines who lived in Africa.

The name of the country changed several times from the beginning of European colonization to the independence of the state. It wasn't until 1975 that the island became officially known as Papua New Guinea.

Capital	Port Moresby
Population	6,187,591 people
	461.7 thousand km²
Population density	13 people/km²
	English, Talk Pisin, Hiri Motu
Religion	most of the population are Christians, the rest adhere to local traditional beliefs
Form of government	a constitutional monarchy
Timezone
International dialing code
Internet domain zone
Electricity

The islands of this state are surrounded by thousands of reefs, lagoons, underwater plateaus, which are full of unique marine life. Here you can plunge into the world of sunken ships that disappeared from the face of the earth during the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries and the Second World War.

Climate and weather

The country reigns tropical climate with high humidity. As a rule, this area is characterized by stable weather throughout the year. The average daily temperature is about +26 ºС, and the seasons differ from each other only in the amount of precipitation, so the division is not made into winter and summer, but into the rainy season and the dry season. True, for each place these seasons come at different times.

Only coastal areas are truly hot. Concerning mountainous areas, then the local climate is significantly different from the plain. The temperature here is much lower, but the precipitation is much more. At an altitude of more than 2500 m, the average temperature does not exceed +10 ºС. For almost all the time in the mountains there is a light drizzle, from time to time you can get under the hail.

Nature

The nature of this area is unique. You will not find such a variety of flora and fauna anywhere else.

Most of the surface of all the islands of New Guinea is covered with different-sized mountains. The main part of the territory is raised to a height of 1000 meters above sea level. At the same time, there are also such mountains that reach a height of 4.5 km, which classifies them as belts of eternal snow. Papua New Guinea has 18 active volcanoes.

The flora and fauna of these places is especially diverse. More than 20,000 different plant species can be found in this area. wide band mangrove plants(sometimes up to 35 kilometers) goes along the coast of New Guinea. This area is very swampy, therefore it is impassable. You can cross it only by swimming along the rivers, along which there are wild thickets of sugar cane and groves of sago palms.

Hundreds of species of trees grow in dense tropical rainforests, and recently vegetable gardens and entire plantations have become more common. Here it is customary to grow sugar cane, coconut palms, bananas and tubers such as sweet potato, yams, taro, cassava and others. Only two or three years gardens are to be cultivated. After that, the area is again overgrown with forest for the next 10-12 years. So the locals maintain the fertility of the soil.

Where the forests rise to a height of 1000-2000 meters, the vegetation becomes more and more monotonous. Mostly coniferous species are found here, in particular - araucaria, which are of great economic importance, since valuable building material is obtained from their wood.

The highlands are dominated meadows and shrubs. And in the hollows of the mountains, where the climate is drier, grassy vegetation is more common.

The fauna here is also diverse. There are especially many reptiles, insects and, of course, birds in these places. As in neighboring Australia, mammals are represented more by marsupial breeds of animals - wallabies, bandicoots, couscous. Turtles and crocodiles can be found on the banks of the rivers. The bird world is represented by such unique exhibits as birds of paradise, cassowaries, crowned pigeons, weed chickens and parrots. And with the Europeans, pigs, domestic chickens and dogs came into this world.

Attractions

On the territory of Papua New Guinea there are a lot of natural attractions. One of the main is the two-top shield Giluve volcano, which is located in the Southern Highlands. The volcano is the second highest peak in the country, reaches a mark of 4368 meters and is the highest in the entire territory of Oceania and Australia. Alpine bows are located all over its surface.

In addition to a large number of historical and natural attractions, there is also a huge archaeological monument - the agricultural settlement of Cook, better known in the world under the name cook marshes. It is located in the Western Highlands, at an altitude of more than one and a half kilometers above sea level. The area of ​​this historical monument is 116 hectares. Archaeological excavations and research have been carried out here since 1960.

Another well-known natural attraction is the river natural bayer nature reserve and other nature reserves, parks, gardens, each of which is inimitable and unique. Bayer Nature Reserve itself is located 55 km from Mount Hagen, in the Bayer River basin. It is here that it is best to get acquainted with the animal and plant world of these places.

A popular place is Lake Kutbu, in the waters of which several species of rare fish live. It is located 800 meters above sea level in the Southern Highlands and covers an area of ​​​​49 km² (only Lake Murray is larger than it). The reservoir is surrounded by wetlands and swampy forests, which are protected by the state.

Varirata National Park, which is the first national park in the country, is located 42 km from the capital and occupies more than a thousand hectares. Once this territory was a hunting ground for the tribes living here. An object of cult purpose is dedicated to these times - the "tree-house" of the Koiaris tribe.

National Botanical Park in the capital is ranked among the main tourist sites of the country. This place is regularly visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world, as well as local residents from different regions. The park is famous for its giant collection of orchids, hanging trails and the “plant map” of the country.

The next must-see place to visit should be " Gardens of Eden» in the Foya mountains — a unique rainforest, untouched by civilization, isolated from the outside world, where there is not a single path or path.

The best place to get acquainted with the local architecture, history, culture and nature can only be National Museum. All the diverse and rich heritage of the state is collected in this truly spiritual center. The museum is made in the form of a complex consisting of many rooms located in different parts of the capital.

Nutrition

National nutrition is quite different from the European type we are used to. Local cuisine is represented by meat and fish dishes with the addition of various vegetables (usually stewed) and fruits (papayas, mangoes, pineapples, bananas, passion fruit).

The basis of the traditional cuisine of this country are kaukau, taro, sago, yam and pig. A popular local dish is Mu Mu» - a mixture of sweet potatoes, pork, herbs, rice, spices.

However, thanks to a very well-developed tourism and the flow of foreign (particularly European) guests, Chinese, European, Indonesian restaurants and cafes are increasingly opening here. As alcoholic beverages in Papua New Guinea, Filipino and Australian beer is common.

Accommodation

In Papua New Guinea, there are many opportunities to spend the night in comfort. In this case, everyone will find an acceptable price category. Those who do not allow finances to live in luxury can stay with local residents at any time practically for free, spending only symbolically on breakfast.

Those who want more comfortable conditions are offered a hotel. Kimbe Bay. It is surrounded by tropical gardens, and near the building there are coral reefs where you can ideally spend time diving. The hotel will please its guests with air conditioning, free internet and cozy rooms. There are also 2 bars and 2 restaurants.

There is another decent hotel in the port of Kimbe, Kimbe Bay West New Britain with windows overlooking the coast. It stands right on the New Britain Island Highway. Every morning in the hotel restaurant you can enjoy a "buffet". The rest of the time you can try national exotic dishes from any country in the world. The hotel has a currency exchange office, as well as secure parking.

Entertainment and recreation

In Papua New Guinea, you can find a huge number of different entertainments.

One of the most colorful and original local amusements is the large-scale folk dance festival " sing sing". In September, it is held in the city of Goroka at the foot of the mountain in memory of the country's Independence Day. Every year more than 90 Papuan tribes from all the islands of the state come here (and there are about 600 of them!). Thousands of natives in war paint, in national clothes and jewelry unite to jointly perform the traditional sing-sing dance, sing, beat drums, perform ritual ceremonies and just communicate. Due to the fact that the festival is a multinational lively and cheerful musical performance, a huge number of tourists and ethnographers from all over the world flock here. Here guests of the country can buy unique souvenirs of the festival, which will remind you of the holiday for many years.

Fans of club life will definitely enjoy the nightclub Lamana Gold Club. It is located in the heart of the Lamana Hotel in the capital and holds the title of the largest and best nightclub in all of Papua New Guinea. Here fireworks are launched and dancing in the open air on two dance floors. It offers tourists five bars, karaoke, game rooms and live music.

Purchases

Papua New Guinea has a huge number of shops where you can buy unique local products. Remember that here in the markets and shops it is not customary to bargain.

All shops are usually open five days a week and are open from 9 am to 5 pm. Saturday is a working day, but not until the evening, but until one in the afternoon. Some shops are open on Sunday.

In a large number of large shopping centers and restaurants, you will be able to present international credit cards for payment. But finding ATMs can be problematic. They are available only in the capital, but you can use them only if you have an account in local banks. Using credit cards in the province will be almost impossible.

In most major cities, travelers checks can be exchanged for cash. But not all branches can work with traveler's checks, so you should prepare for long queues.

In many remote areas of the country, only local currency will be accepted for payment. At the same time, you can practically not hope for change, because there is a clear shortage of small bills.

Transport

Between New Guinea and the rest of the islands established coastal shipping. Main the airport located in the capital - Port Moresby.

In this country it is customary to take rental car to be able to independently explore all the beauties of the area. True, they will give you a car only if you have a driver's license, driving experience and a credit card.

And here is the system Taxi it is not developed here, because there are practically no central roads in the country.

After you arrive at the local airport, we recommend that you immediately purchase a telephone SIM card from a local telecom operator. If you need to call abroad, then you can do this at any call center or through an operator from the hotel where you are staying.

Be sure to write down the emergency numbers you may need - the police can be reached on 000, the fire department on 110, and the ambulance can be called on 3256822.

Security

The main problem in Papua New Guinea is fraud. There are frequent cases of car theft and petty street crime. And the local police often try to make money on the same tourists. The crime rate is especially high in large cities, for example, in the capital Port Moresby. There you can observe such a bandit phenomenon as " splitism"- a special system of youth gangs that engage in murder, kidnapping, violence, extortion, robbery and theft.

We recommend getting vaccinated against malaria, cholera and typhoid before your trip. True, this does not apply to those tourists who will eat exclusively in hotels and restaurants. All travelers older than one year are also recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, Japanese encephalitis, polio. In recent years, the country began to become much more AIDS patients.

Be careful with cuts and other skin injuries, because even the most harmless scratch or skin irritation in the realities of this climate can cause you a lot of problems.

Business climate

Papua New Guinea has a huge amount of useful resources, however, in the conditions of this area, their extraction is quite difficult. Nevertheless, two-thirds of the foreign exchange income is brought to the country by the development of gold, copper ore and oil deposits.

The main local industry is the mining and processing of silver, gold, oil, processing of copra, copper ore, wood processing, palm oil production and construction.

Agriculture also brings considerable profit to the state. Cocoa, coffee, coconuts, copra, sugarcane, tea, sweet potatoes, rubber, vegetables, fruits, vanilla are grown here. Shrimps, crabs and other seafood are also exported. The main buyers of all these natural resources are Japan, Australia and China.

• Upon arrival in the country, you can almost everywhere change the currency for local banknotes. This can be done not only in bank branches, but also in hotels, airports, large shopping centers. There are also private exchange offices that deal with the exchange.
• In Papua New Guinea, it is not customary to leave a tip. The amount shown on the invoice is usually the final amount.
• You should be aware that any non-bottled water here is unfit for drinking.
• Some species of sharks swim around the island, as well as many different poisonous sea creatures.
• It is forbidden to import antiques, weapons, wild animals and birds, seeds and plants, pornographic items and drugs into the country. But it is forbidden to export antiques and everything that was found on the seabed from the country.

Visa information

Russian citizens must open a visa before traveling to Papua New Guinea. There is no embassy of this country in the Russian Federation, so you will have to apply for a tourist visa at the consulate in Brussels, the consular department in London or the Australian embassy in Moscow. Depending on the option you choose to open a visa, the procedure for paying the consular fee, the procedure for submitting documents and the terms for issuing a visa change.

To date, the consular fee is $ 35.

Address of the Australian embassy in Moscow: Podkolokolny lane, 10A/2.

Phone: (+7 495) 956 6070.

The Consulate in St. Petersburg is located on Petrovsky Prospekt, 14, office. 22-N.

Phone: (+7 812) 334 3327.

From time immemorial, Russian and foreign sailors began to explore the islands located in the Pacific Ocean. These natural complexes are so amazing and unusual that they are considered to be separate continents with their own culture and way of life. From school, we all remember that in Oceania after Greenland is Papua New Guinea.

The island is washed by several seas: New Guinea, Solomon, Coral, as well as the Gulf of Papua. N. N. Miklukho-Maklai, a Russian biologist and navigator who made a significant contribution to geography, history and science, was engaged in close study of natural resources, local culture and the indigenous population. Thanks to this man, the world learned about the existence of wild jungles and original tribes.

True, tours to the island in Oceania are not in great demand, while they remain rare. But travelers who have visited the local jungle, untouched by civilization, recall their vacation with rapture and delight. Rich vegetation, exotic wildlife, amazing landscapes, a variety of languages, customs and cultures leave an indelible impression in the memory. Our publication is dedicated to this state.

Geographical description of the island of New Guinea

The tropical island is located in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, connecting two parts of the world: Asia and Australia. It has been an independent state since 1975, is also part of the British Commonwealth and is a member of the UN. Its capital is the city of Port Moresby. The origin of the island of New Guinea is mainland. Almost the entire territory is covered with massive hills, rocky ridges.

Most of them are of volcanic origin, rising to 3000 meters above sea level. According to scientific data, Wilhelm is considered the highest mountain, which reaches 4509 meters. Between the hills there are wide hollows filled with water, densely planted with tropical trees.

Several rivers flow on the island: Ramu, Sepik, Markham, Purari, Fly. Scientists involved in the geological study of the island claim that the continent has a high seismic activity. The last eruption was recorded in the last century, during which thousands of people suffered, and agriculture was also greatly damaged.

New Guinea Island: population

Life on tropical islands originated thousands of years ago, no one can name the exact date. The last census took place in 1900, at that time the population was about 10 million people. The indigenous people are the Papuans, belonging to the equatorial race. In addition to the Melanesians - as this nation is also called - Asians and even Europeans live.

The lack of civilization, jobs, as well as unfavorable living conditions and the presence of a high crime situation are forcing the natives to migrate from the "mainland" of New Guinea. The island lives according to its customs and laws. Papuans create clans, tribes, choose elders, without whom important tasks and decisions are not made.

The main occupation of the population is agriculture. Wild tribes plow the land, plant palm trees with bananas, coconuts, and pineapples. Fishing and hunting are no less popular. Some natives mine precious metals, after which they sell them on the black market.

Climatic conditions

The huge masses of water and the insignificant size of the land have influenced the climate as a whole. In the north, there is a humid equatorial climate, characterized by heavy rains, slight winds. The summer temperature regime fluctuates between +30...+32 °С, slightly decreasing at night.

The southern part of the mainland is ruled by the subequatorial climatic zone. In the winter months (January-February), strong winds dominate the island of Papua New Guinea. The island, or rather the southeast (May-August) and the central part, is heavily flooded with tropical rains.

The rest of the coastal area (lowland) undergoes drought until late autumn. In areas with high mountains and ridges, a small amount of precipitation falls, since the highlands act as a protective barrier against cold air masses and rains.

Economic situation

The relief of the ridges prevents the construction of highways and connecting paths. To date, there is no land communication with large New Guinea. The island has only air communication with the Pacific regions. To maintain and develop the economy, the state in Oceania regularly receives financial support from Australia.

However, the infrastructure remains at an antediluvian level. The main reason is non-compliance with the law on the part of local residents. Crime and civil strife flare up in rural areas. In order to protect their property from robbery and ruin, residents create communities.

The main activity of the population is agriculture. Thus, market relations are established between tribes and regions. Sweet potatoes and tea are cultivated in the mountainous regions; vegetables, bananas, yams, and taro are cultivated in the lowlands. They grow different cereals, fruit, coffee and chocolate trees. Animal husbandry is practiced. Papua New Guinea is rich in mineral resources. The mining industry is actively developing.

Flora

The territory of the island of New Guinea is covered with evergreen savannas. Valuable species of plants and relic trees grow in the jungle: sago and coconut palms, melon and mango, rubber plants, ficuses, bamboos, pandanuses, casuarinas. The forests contain pines and ferns. And in the swampy areas grow mangroves. Along the banks of the rivers you can see thickets of sugar cane.

Fauna

The animal world is rich and varied. Alligators, dangerous and poisonous snakes, as well as lizards and chameleons are found in local rivers. The fauna is represented by amazing insects, exotic birds and reptiles. Birds of paradise, cassowaries, large parrots live on the mainland. Large turtles crawl along the coast. In the forests there are marsupial badgers, kangaroos, couscous. Local residents breed animals familiar to our region: pigs, cows, horses, goats and other livestock.

Tourist orientation

Avid travelers know where the island of New Guinea is located, and therefore tend to get here in the summer months to see the colorful and diverse world of the jungle. In warm weather, enchanting festivals with national dances of the natives are organized here. Many are attracted by sightseeing holidays in the wild jungle with a local guide, others are attracted by acquaintance with the sights of nearby resorts.

Things to do?

Having purchased a tour to Papua New Guinea, be sure to go diving. Every hotel and inn offer similar services. The waters of the Pacific Ocean are an unusually colorful world, teeming with coral reefs, amazing sea creatures, and large predators. At the bottom of the ocean you can see sunken ships and planes.

Surfing and windsurfing are equally popular. The best beaches for this extreme activity are the coasts of the resorts of Wewak, Madang, Vanimo, Alotau. It is allowed to fish in coastal waters, which is what guests of the island do. It is possible to catch mackerel, giant trevally, dog-toothed tuna, barracuda, salmon, perch and many other trophies. Rafting, canoeing, kayaking, boat trips are in great demand.

Papua New Guinea is a natural wonder of the world, fraught with many mysteries and seductive with its resources. If you are not afraid of tropical mosquito bites and the aggressive behavior of the Papuans, then feel free to purchase a tour to the picturesque island.

This state is located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean and occupies the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, as well as many nearby islands, as well as the Bismarck archipelago, part of the Solomon Islands. and others. For a long time it was a colony of European countries, recently Great Britain, whose influence here and now is great.

Papua New Guinea is a strange, mysterious country filled with aboriginal tribes and infinitely beautiful nature.

Settlers from other lands reached Papua New Guinea from the Asian mainland more than 50 thousand years ago. Numerous waves of migration passed through the territory of these islands, going to Australia and the islands of Oceania. As a result, many unique ethnic groups have formed here, often isolated from each other.

The first Europeans to reach the western shores of Papua New Guinea in the 16th century were the Portuguese. They called it - "Ilhas dos Papuas" - the island of the Papuans. The name "New Guinea" was given to the island by the Dutch, who saw in the dark-skinned locals an analogy with the blacks of African Guinea. Europeans did not penetrate into the eastern part of New Guinea until the end of the 18th century. It is believed that they were afraid of those very warlike and cruel cannibals who ate Cook.

A piece of paradise

And now Papua New Guinea is almost a land of wild and unexplored nature, with harsh conditions and unique landscapes. The area of ​​this country is slightly larger than Germany, but the local diversity of living beings and natural complexes can be compared with the whole of Eurasia.

Here you will find suffocating areas with damp jungles, giving way to cold mountainous terrain. Next to each other are centuries-old swamps and coral reefs, limestone cliffs and emerald green plains. Unique animals live here, from tiny tree kangaroos or birds of paradise to huge butterflies. It is this diversity, still completely untouched by man, that attracts thousands of researchers, anthropologists and travelers here.

Attractions Papua New Guinea

On the territory of Papua New Guinea, as you already understood, there are a lot of attractions of natural origin. For example, the two-peak volcano Giluve, located in the Southern Highlands. The volcano has a height of 4368 meters and is the second highest peak in the country, and the highest in the entire territory of Oceania and Australia. All over its surface there are meadows similar to alpine ones.

A huge archaeological site is the agricultural settlement of Cook, also known as the Cook Marshes. It is located in the West, on the highlands, at an altitude of more than one and a half kilometers above sea level and has an area of ​​116 hectares. Archaeological excavations and research have been carried out here since 1960.

Bayer Nature Reserve is located 55 km from Mount Hagen, in the Bayer River basin.

Papua has many natural river nature reserves, parks, inimitable and unique gardens.

A popular place is Lake Kutubu (see photo above), which is home to several species of rare fish. It is located 800 meters above sea level in the Southern Highlands and covers an area of ​​49 km². The reservoir is surrounded by wetlands and swampy forests, which are protected by the state.

Varirata National Park, which is the first national park in the country, is located 42 km from the capital and occupies more than a thousand hectares. Once this territory was a hunting ground for the tribes living here. An object of cult purpose is dedicated to these times - the "tree-house" of the Koiaris tribe.

The National Botanical Park in the capital is one of the main tourist sites of the country. This place is regularly visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world, as well as local residents from different regions. The park is famous for its giant collection of orchids, hanging trails and the “plant map” of the country.

The next must-see place should be the "Gardens of Eden" in the Foya Mountains - a unique rainforest, untouched by civilization, isolated from the outside world, where there is not a single path or path.

The best place to get acquainted with the local architecture, history, culture and nature can only be the National Museum. All the diverse and rich heritage of the state is collected in this truly spiritual center. The museum is made in the form of a complex consisting of many rooms located in different parts of the capital.

Now in Papua

Over the past 100 years, the territory of Papua New Guinea has also been affected by the Second World War. Actually, the very name of the country appeared only in 1949, when its territory came under the control of Australia as a UN Trust Territory.

The Australians took steps to strengthen the centralization of government with the participation of representatives of local tribes. Stronger ties began to be established with overpopulated mountain areas. In 1953, the first road was built from the coast through the Kassam Pass to the mountains. The administration sought to improve the systems of medical care and education, and religious missions carried out considerable work in this direction.

In 1967, the Pangu Pati, a national political party, was founded. After the 1972 elections, this party formed a coalition government, which achieved the country's independence on September 16, 1975. Nevertheless, Papua New Guinea is not calm everywhere and now, there are separatists.

So if one of the wealthy Russian and tourists in general gets there, you need to find out where you can go and where not. From Russia, it’s definitely far for us to go there, and obviously expensive. But where we were not .... see for yourself: