The map of Papua New Guinea shows the international boundaries, provincial boundaries, national capital along with the provincial capitals.
Geography of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is an island state lying in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. ONG is a huge mountainous area and the majority of its areas are shielded with tropical forest. It comprises several small coastline islets and the eastern half part of New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is bordered by Australia in the South; Indonesia in the west and Solomon Islands in the south-east. The uppermost areas in Papua New Guinea receive snowfall, a rare incident in the tropical areas. Mount Wilhelm is the higher most peak (4,509 meters) within PNG. The basic geography of Papua New Guinea is characterized by the eastern half part of the New Guinea Island, the islands of New Britain, Bougainville & New Ireland, and several small neighboring islets.
Demography of Papua New Guinea
The total population of PNG, as per the UN data is 8,996,389 as of Oct 2020, which is equal to 0.11% of the overall population of the world. PNG’s population density is 20/SqKm on the total landmass 452,860 SqKm and approx. 3.1% of the entire Papua New Guinea population is urban. Life expectancy at birth is 65.22 years for both males and females. The infant mortality rate is 36.6 deaths/1000 births and the death rate under age 5 is 46.3 deaths/1000 births.
Culture of Papua New Guinea
Though Papua New Guinea is the home to mere 8 million people, its population belongs to more than 7 thousand various cultural groups and each group has its own ethnicity, culture, language, and different forms of ethnic manifestation including music, dance, costume, weapons and body paint. With their remarkable ochre and red body paint, the traditional apparel of the “Huli” people is one of the colorful and vibrant across the world. The Huli lives in the central area of Papua New Guinea for several thousand years and has supported themselves mainly through agriculture and hunting. The people in Papua New Guinea are totally self-reliant in terms of food stock, supporting themselves through pig farming and agriculture. Yam, together with Pork is one of the most common staple foods available throughout the country. Pig in fact; occupies a highly crucial role in various traditional celebrations; such as pigs are slaughtered for celebrating cremations, initiation rites, and marriages.
Top places to visit in Papua New Guinea
National Museum and Art Gallery
The National Museum and Art Gallery are some of the most attractive places to visit as the exhibits of the Museum are described by themes such as musical instruments of the indigenous people, their costumes and masks, their canoes, and other maritime devices. You can even see the popular Sepik’s totem poles and the skull racks which are called ‘agiba’.
Varirata National Park
Almost all the tours in Papua New Guinea start with the Varirata National Park; the place is highly attractive not only for nature lovers and bird watchers but it is also an attractive place for taking a view of the sea and the city. You can watch the birds of heaven here; however, you should arrive early to watch different species of birds.
The Rainforest Habitat
The place is located on the University of Technology’s campus and houses various local fauna and flora under a recreated tropical forest with an 11metre high covering. While a majority of people come to Papua New Guinea to see the tree kangaroos, cassowaries, the birds of paradise, the crocodile Agro of the saltwater are the main attraction of Rainforest Habitat. You must visit Papua New Guinea if you want to see crocodiles.
What is the best ideal time to visit Papua New Guinea?
The most ideal time to visit Papua New Guinea is from late May through October as the country receives less rain during this time.
