Papua New Guinea Encyclopedia & Facts

Country Name: Papua New Guinea (Independent State of Papua New Guinea)
System of government: An independent member of the Commonwealth
Capital: Port Moresby (metropolitan area pop. 130,000)
Location: The eastern part of New Guinea and some 600 islands in the Pacific, the largest being the Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville in the northern Solomon Islands)
Area: 461,691sqkm
Population: 9,593,498 (2022 Estimate)
National composition: Papuans, Melanesians
Official language: English
Other major cities: Lae (pop. 40,000)
Highest elevation: Mt Wilhelm (4,509 m)
Chief rivers: Fly, Sepik
Climate: Tropical, wet, with uniform temperature

Motto: Unity in diversity
Anthem: O Arise, All You Sons

Location Map:

Papua New Guinea Encyclopedia & Facts

The coastal areas of New Guinea are low-lying, the interior is mountainous. The backbone of the island is formed by several separate ranges of the Central Range.

Much of the country, especially in the north, which is characterized by high annual precipitation, is swathed in tropical rainforest. This gives way to grassland at higher altitudes. Savanna and eucalyptus forest predominate in the south. There are many kangaroos, monkeys, wild pigs, crocodiles, turtles, reptiles and birds.

The chief crops are taro, yams, plantains, groundnuts, rice, tea, cocoa beans, copra and natural rubber. Livestock is raised in the grasslands at the higher altitudes.

Mineral resources include rich deposits of copper, gold, silver, platinum and recently discovered oil-fields. Apart from mining, food-processing and timber are the only ranking industries.

Papua New Guinea National Anthem:

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05 Interesting Facts about Papua New Guinea:

1. Papua New Guinea has 851 languages

One of my favourite facts about PNG is that Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country in the world.

According to government statistics, there are 851 languages within the country.

The most popular language is Tok Pisin, an English-based creole with German-language elements. The country also has an official sign language.

2. Papua New Guinea has 5% of global biodiversity

Most people don’t know how biodiverse PNG is – it’s one of the world’s finest scuba diving locations thanks to the stunning biodiversity underwater.

Even though PNG has a total of 1% of Earth’s total land area, it has 20,000 plant species, 800 species of coral, and over 650 species of fish.

Do you have your scuba diving PADI? If not, you might want to get one before travelling to Papua New Guinea to really make the most of this unique world underwater.

3. PNG has the world’s third largest rainforest

Many of us know Papua New Guinea is full of rainforest but did you know it has the world’s third biggest rainforest?

Papua New Guinea has a 288,000 square kilometres rainforest, third in line after the Amazon Rainforest and the Congo Rainforest. One of the best little known facts about Papua New Guinea is that there’s plenty of opportunity for adventure!

4. PNG is home to one of the world’s very few poisonous birds

PNG is home to the hooded pitohui bird, native to the country. But the hooded pitohui bird isn’t your average one – it’s one of Earth’s very few poisonous birds.

Because of that, hunters are cautious to preserve the birds because they kill many parasites and are fantastic for the ecosystem. Hunters also love the unique characteristics of these birds.

You probably won’t accidentally come across one, so nothing to worry about, but exciting to know about!

5. The capital city is Port Moresby

PNG established Port Moresby as the capital in 1873. It’s home to over 360,000 citizens and is the largest South Pacific city outside Australia and New Zealand.

During the World War II, Port Moresby became the area’s trading hub. However, Port Moresby remains the hub of PNG today, hosting global events and the airport you’ll need to come into if you’re visiting Papua New Guinea.

If you’re planning on visiting PNG, then check out my guide to what to expect when you arrive in Papua New Guinea for some much needed advice.