Papua New Guinea is officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, and is a country in Oceania, occupying the Eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands (the Western portion of the island is a part of the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua). It is located in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean above Australia.
Here are 10 facts about Papua New Guinea
1. Human remains have been found which have been dated to about 50,000 years ago. These ancient inhabitants probably had their origins in Southeast Asia, themselves originating in Africa 50,000 to 70,000 years ago.
2. Portuguese navigators are said to be the first Europeans to have sighted the island of New Guinea.
3. The island of New Guinea was named after the country of Guinea in Africa. The island is one of the largest islands on Earth. Papua New Guinea occupies half af the island. The other half is part of Indonesia.
4. The Kuk Early Agricultural Site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008, consists of swamps in the highlands of New Guinea. It has been discovered that the land has been drained, possibly for as long as ten thousand years. Evidence of agriculture dates back to 6500 years ago.
5. The country became a self-governing state in 1973 and gained independence from Australia in 1975. Australia administered the region after World War I. However, the monarch of the United Kingdom (King Charles III) serves as the Head of State of Papua New Guinea. The country also became a member of the Commonwealth in 1975.
6. The country has a greater density of languages than any other nation on earth. More than 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies exist today (and the country only has a population of just under 6 million).
7. The highest point in the Independent State of Papua New Guinea is Mount Wilhelm (4,509 m).
8. Only 18% of New Guinea’s population is urbanized. Port Moresby is the capital of Papua New Guinea (which has a population of over 360,000).
9. The Kina is the monetary unit that is used in Papua New Guinea.
10. James Marape is the current prime minister of Papua New Guinea.
There you have it, 10 facts about Papua New Guinea. I’m sure that there’s much more to this country than just these facts. Feel free to comment on this post if you can add something interesting.
Watch this space for updates in the Facts category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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