Melanesia · OceaniaPapua New Guinea
Discover Papua New Guinea - the most linguistically diverse nation on Earth with over 800 languages, dense jungles, volcanic peaks, and cultures barely touched by the modern world.
Where Is Papua New Guinea?
Papua New Guinea is a country in Melanesia, Oceania. Its capital is Port Moresby.
- Capital Port Moresby
- Population 10.8M
- Area 462,840 km²
Papua New Guinea is the most culturally and linguistically diverse country on the face of the Earth. Over 800 distinct languages are spoken here - roughly one-eighth of all the languages that exist. The eastern half of the island of New Guinea, plus hundreds of smaller islands, holds communities that were completely isolated from each other by impenetrable jungle, towering mountain ranges, and vast swamp systems for thousands of years. The result is an explosion of human diversity that has no parallel anywhere.
This is a country where first contact with some highland tribes did not happen until the 1930s, and where dense interior regions remain among the most remote and least explored places on the planet. The Highlands are home to massive sing-sing festivals where hundreds of tribes gather in spectacular body paint, feathers, and ceremonial dress. The Sepik River cultures produce some of the most extraordinary art in the human tradition. The coastlines and islands hold World War II battlefields, active volcanoes, and coral reefs that rival any in the Pacific.
Modern Papua New Guinea is a complicated, challenging, fascinating place. Port Moresby is one of the toughest capital cities in the Pacific, resources extraction drives the economy, and development reaches unevenly into the interior. But the cultural richness, the biodiversity, and the sheer wild grandeur of the landscape make it one of the most remarkable countries on Earth.
At a glance
Largest cities in Papua New Guinea
Port Moresby
Lae
Mount Hagen
Goroka
Madang
Famous people from Papua New Guinea
Michael Somare
PoliticsFather of the Nation who led Papua New Guinea to independence in 1975 and served as the country's first Prime Minister
Bao Waiko
ScienceProminent historian who documented PNG's transition to independence and preserved oral histories of pre-colonial societies
Bernard Narokobi
PoliticsPhilosopher, writer, and one of the architects of PNG's constitution, who championed the concept of the Melanesian Way
Koe Simon
SportRugby league star who helped establish PNG as one of the most passionate rugby league nations in the world
Traditional cuisine of Papua New Guinea
- Mumu
- Traditional earth oven feast - pork, sweet potato, taro, and greens layered with hot stones and banana leaves, cooked underground
- Sago
- Starch extracted from the sago palm, processed into a jelly-like staple food in lowland and swamp communities
- Kaukau (Sweet Potato)
- The dietary staple of the Highlands, roasted or boiled, the foundation of highland nutrition for over 300 years
- Kokoda
- Raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut cream, a refreshing coastal dish similar to ceviche found across the Pacific
- Buai (Betel Nut)
- Chewed with lime powder and mustard stick, betel nut is PNG's most ubiquitous social custom, staining mouths red across the country
- Lamb Flaps
- Imported fatty lamb belly cuts that have become a staple protein, usually grilled or fried at markets across the country
Nature and landmarks in Papua New Guinea
- Mount WilhelmMountain
- PNG's highest peak at 4,509 meters, climbable without technical equipment through moss forest, alpine grassland, and glacial lakes
- Sepik RiverRiver
- One of the great rivers of the world, winding 1,126 kilometers through swampland and forest, famed for the artistic traditions of its villages
- Kokoda TrackLandmark
- Legendary 96-kilometer World War II trail through the Owen Stanley Range, a grueling jungle trek and site of fierce fighting in 1942
- Rabaul CalderaMountain
- Massive volcanic caldera on New Britain island, the ruins of the former colonial capital buried by eruptions in 1994
- Tufi FjordsCoast
- Dramatic tropical fjords on the Oro Province coast, plunging jungle-covered cliffs meeting coral reefs and WWII aircraft wrecks
Sports in Papua New Guinea
- Rugby League
- Rugby league is the national obsession - PNG is the only country where rugby league is the most popular sport, with the Kumuls competing internationally
- Cricket
- Cricket is widely played, and PNG gained associate ODI status, a growing force in the ICC East Asia-Pacific region
- Australian Rules Football
- AFL is popular in the southern region, and PNG has produced several players who have competed in Australian leagues
Did you know?
Papua New Guinea has over 800 living languages, making it the most linguistically diverse country on Earth by a wide margin
The Highland tribes were not contacted by outsiders until the 1930s, when Australian explorers were stunned to find a million people living in fertile valleys
Birds of paradise are found almost exclusively in PNG and are so central to culture that they appear on the national flag and currency
Tok Pisin, the national lingua franca, is an English-based creole where 'piano' translates to 'big fellow box you hit him he cry'
The Kokoda Track was the site of a pivotal 1942 WWII campaign and is now one of the world's most challenging multi-day treks
PNG is home to the world's largest butterfly, Queen Alexandra's birdwing, with a wingspan of up to 31 centimeters
Some PNG communities still use shell money called tabu for ceremonial exchanges and bride price payments
Read more about Papua New Guinea
Can you find Papua New Guinea on a map?
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