This site is an informational
and educational site about
the country of Papua New Guinea. Papua
New Guinea is located
below the equator, just north of Australia.
Climate: The
climate is generally hot, humid, and wet all year long.
In most places the rainy season is December
through March. The dry season
is May to October.
Population And People:
Papua New Guinea has a population
of about 4.2 million
people. Only 5.4% of this is
Currently employed. 33% of the total population live in
the highlands. Here
is a table showing some of
the provinces:
Provinces:
Population
Capital
Land Area
Central and Oro Provinces
410,000
Port Moresby
29,9402km
Milne
Bay Province
180,000
Alotau
14,0002km
Morobe
Province
430,000
Lae
34,5002km
Madang Province
290,000
Madang
28,0002km
The Highlands
1,560,000
none
62,5002km
The Sepik
425,000
none
79,1002km
Gulf and Western Provinces
200,000
none
133,8002km
New Britain Province
316,000
none
40,5002km
New Ireland Province
101,000
Kavieng
9,6002km
Manus
Province
38,000
Lorengau
2,1002km
North Solomons Province
170,000
Buka
9,3002km
Education:
Around 70% of the children there get
a formal education.
About 30% of that later go on to high school. My
family is going to teach at
at a school there.
Religion:
About 28% of the people
are Catholics,23% Evangelical
Lutheran, 13% belong to the
United Church, and there are significant numbers
of the Evangelical
Alliance, Seventh-Day Adventist, Pentecostal
and Anglican Churches.
Language:
Over 770 languages are spoken in
PNG. Pidgin Is one of the
main international trade
languages. It is very easy to pick up and is a second
language to nationals.
Arts:
Papuans make many things
including pottery, weapons, bowls,
billums, carvings and masks.
Government and Politics:
Papua New Guinea is an independant country that is
governed by a parlimentary
democracy within the British Commonwealth. In 1976,
19 provinces were
formed, each with a provincial assembly.They hold
regular elections.
Industry And Economy:
5% of all exported coffee comes from PNG.
Coffee is PNG's
main export followed by cocoa and tea. Fishing is
also a main source of
income for the people of Papua
New Guinea.
Tourism:
About 42,000 short term visitors went
to PNG in 1995. Some of
the major contributors are
from Australia,(39%)USA,(110%) Japan,(8%)and the
UK(7%).
Recreation:
Some things Papuans like to do are sitting
and talking,
playing rugby, playing cards, and
playing soccer. Community tournaments are
held when courts and fields are available. Women
enjoy knitting, weaving,
and making other handicrafts.
Currency:
Papua New Guinea money consists of kina and toea. This is equivalent to the US dollars and cents. To view some PNG money, Click here.
Holidays:
Some of PNG'S national holidays
include: New Years Day, Queen
Elizabeth II's Birthday, Independence
Day,Christmas,and Boxing Day. Also,
each Province has it's own Holiday.
Points to Ponder:
Here are some points
to ponder........Papua New Guinea used
to be called the Territory of Papua and New
Guinea.People of the same sex
sometimes hold hands in public to show
their friendship; but this is not
acceptable for the opposite sex. Papuans drive on
theleft side of the
road. There is no fresh cow milk in most of Papua New
Guinea.Telephones are only located
in metropolitan areas.
