Map of new guinea and australia. Papua new guinea on the map. Landmarks of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea will certainly give you an island paradise among the warm seas with a rich natural world and a chic selection of active entertainment. This country is also famous for its underwater beauty, which attracts divers here.

Papua New Guinea on the world map

The independent State of Papua New Guinea is located to the north in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, more precisely in its southwestern part.

One of the most famous states of Oceania covers the Solomon Islands, the territory of the Bismarck archipelago and the eastern regions of the island of New Guinea. The total area of ​​the country is almost 463 thousand square kilometers. In addition to the Pacific Ocean, the shores of Papua New Guinea bathe in the waters of the Solomon and the seas. The island lands of the country and Australia are separated by the waters of the Torres Strait, and are also located near the equator.
Papua New Guinea on land borders only on the western part of the island of New Guinea. Australia is the southern maritime neighbor of the country, it shares the southeastern water expanses with the Solomon Islands, and on the north side the state is connected by sea with the Federated States of Micronesia and with Nauru to the east.

Independent State of Papua New Guinea

The country's largest island is characterized by mountainous terrain, like many other island lands of Papua New Guinea. Average heights are 1000 meters above sea level, but some New Guinea mountain peaks exceed 4.5 kilometers in height, which creates ideal conditions for the formation of eternal snow, despite the proximity to the hot equatorial belt of the planet.
A characteristic feature of this state of Oceania can be considered volcanic activity. Most of the local mountains are real volcanic chains. In total, there are 18 active giants in the country, which stretch in the northern regions of the island. That is why these lands are often subjected to powerful earthquakes. Geologists note that seismic activity is characteristic of this state because of its geographical position at the point of convergence of the Pacific and Australian lithospheric plates.
Alpine massifs stretch in the east of Papua New Guinea along the state border with Indonesia. The high-altitude maximum of the state can be observed on the Bismarck Ridge, where the peak called Wilhelm is located, about 4509 meters in height. Mountains stretch across the entire territory of the island, and in the southeast the massif abruptly breaks off directly above the sea. It is believed that under water the mountain range continues, and becomes the cause of the formation called the Louisiade. Only in the south can you see a flat area called the Papua Plateau. It is characterized by swampy terrain.
The mountainous relief is also a distinctive feature of the island lands of New Britain and New Ireland, where the heights above sea level reach 2000 meters or more. The islands of Papua New Guinea are rich in valuable minerals such as gold, oil, natural gas and various metals. Although most of the islands of Oceania do not have an abundance of rivers and lakes, the inhabitants of Papua New Guinea are not at all short of fresh water sources. The country boasts a really dense river network, but it mainly consists of small mountain rivers and their tributaries, which carry their waters to the Pacific. During the rainy seasons, river basins overflow into vast areas, which leads to the formation of swamps.
The flora of Papua New Guinea is distinguished by a pronounced diversity of species, the number of which exceeds 20 thousand units. The coastline of the island of New Guinea is decorated with dense mangroves, on the territory of which no human foot has yet set foot. These forests are so dense that rivers are the only means of transportation in the area. Palm trees and sugar cane also grow here.
Climbing the mountains, mangroves are replaced by no less dense tropical rainforests. However, you can easily walk through them. In such areas, the inhabitants of Papua New Guinea equip agricultural land, as the soils here are especially fertile. The inhabitants of Papua New Guinea grow coconuts, bananas, reeds and even some types of crops. In the mountains at an altitude of 1-2 kilometers, you can find coniferous tree species, from which houses are built here and roads are made.
As for the animal world of the state, it is mainly represented by insects and reptiles. There are very few mammals here - tree kangaroos and marsupial badgers. Huge crocodiles and turtles constantly bask on the wild sea coast, and the variety of tropical birds will simply make you dizzy.

State flag of Papua New Guinea

The main color scheme of the flag of this state consists of red and black colors. The rectangular canvas is divided diagonally from the upper left corner to the lower right, divided into two identical areas: the lower one is painted over with black, and the upper one with a rich shade of red. The black segment also displays four large and one small snow-white five-pointed star, which act as a symbolic designation of the constellation of the Southern Cross. The red segment is decorated with a golden bird of paradise in flight.

The state of Papua New Guinea, with an area of ​​462,840 sq. km, located in the Pacific Ocean in its southwestern part, called Oceania. The capital of the country is Port Moresby. The country occupies more than 600 islands and reefs: the eastern part of the island of Guinea, the northern territories of the Solomon Islands, the Louisiade archipelago, the Bismarck archipelago. Papua New Guinea is bordered by seas and territorial waters in the south with Australia, in the east with Nauru, in the north with the Federated States of Micronesia. To the southeast, New Guinea's neighbor is the Solomon Islands. To the west is a land border with Indonesia. The coast of the country is washed by the Pacific Ocean, Arafura, Solomon, Coral and New Guinea Seas.

Population of Papua New Guinea

The country, as of 2009, is home to about 6 million people. These are mainly Papuans - 84%. Melanesians, Chinese and Polynesians make up 16%.

Nature of Papua New Guinea

Most of the country is occupied by tropical forests, mangroves are common on the coast. In the southern regions, savanna sparse forests are common. Many reptiles, birds, tree and rocky kangaroos, wild pigs, wild dingo dogs live in local forests and thickets.

Climatic conditions

The territory of the country is dominated by a tropical humid climate. The average temperature is +26°C, without significant fluctuations. In some mountainous areas it constantly rains, due to high humidity and heat, even local residents accustomed to the climate cannot stay in such places for a long time.

Language

The official languages ​​in the country are Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin and English.

Cuisine of Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, a lot of hearty fish dishes are prepared. It is baked in dough, fried on coals and grills, used as a filling for pies. Pork is very popular on the islands, especially the “mumu” dish, where, in addition to meat, there is a lot of greens, rice and potatoes, a fragrant treat is cooked in an earthen oven. Fruit pies and buns are very tasty from local chefs.

Religion

Catholics in Papua New Guinea are 34% of the population. Adhere to local beliefs and cults - 22%, Lutherans in the country - 16%, followers of the Methodist Church and Presbyterians - 8%, Anglicans -5%.

Holidays

On September 16, Papua New Guinea celebrates Independence Day, and on June 13, the whole country celebrates the name day of the Queen.

Currency

The country's currency is the kina (code PGK).

Time

Papua New Guinea is 6 hours ahead of Moscow.

The main resorts of Papua New Guinea

The most popular resort of the islands is Loloata, where, in addition to staying on well-groomed beaches, you can afford diving, snorkeling, surfing, fishing, and riding traditional Papuan boats.

No less visit Port Moresby, where you can lie on the beach, ride a catamaran or water ski, have fun with the children in the water park. Local coastal waters are famous among divers.

Diving enthusiasts tend to get to Tufi Island to explore the offshore reefs and their exotic inhabitants. In addition, American and Japanese ships and aircraft lie at the bottom here.

Those seeking solitude will approach the island of Tawali. You can also visit nearby Fergusson Island and its hot springs.

Landmarks of Papua New Guinea

In Port Moresby, it is worth visiting the building of Ella Beach Park and Ella Church, which is almost 130 years old, the Houses of Parliament, as well as the National Museum with an interesting exposition of religious objects, traditional decorations and art objects created by local artists. The museum's collection includes more than 30 thousand unique anthropological finds. Fans of historical tourism should visit the military museums of Papua New Guinea. One of them is located in Rabaul - in a former military bunker.

Papua New Guinea on the map

Papua New Guinea on the map
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Papua New Guinea is a state occupying the eastern part of the island of New Guinea. The word "Papua" in Malay means "curly", and indeed the local tribes are famous for their whole caps of curly hair. The creation of bizarre hairstyles is one of the national features of the Papuans. Because of hairstyles, Europeans for a long time believed that this is such a special kind of people whose hair grows like that. They were even divided into tribes in which they were in bunches and into tribes in which they were hats. It could not have occurred to a European of that time that the Papuans spent hours creating these masterpieces of folk art. The bundles are lubricated with clay, braided and whipped with various special combs.

Local tribes are known throughout the world as cannibals. Suspicious and distrustful of foreigners. Constantly feuding village to village. Many dialects and mutual misunderstanding. However, the Russian traveler Miklukho Maclay managed to find a common language with the local tribes, which the missionaries could not get close to.

Papua new guinea map

The Papuans were afraid of everyone and often killed out of fright. Maklai came to the village, which was deserted at his appearance. I looked around, lay down near the fire and fell asleep. Shaken by this act, the savages accepted him after that as a higher being. Such an unusual gesture of confidence and peacefulness was simply unthinkable for them.

Papua New Guinea is an independent state in Oceania. It occupies the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, the northern part of the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck and Louisiade archipelago and more than two hundred other small reefs and islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

The etymology of the name of the state is interesting. It comes from the Malay papua", which is translated into Russian as" curly". The island received this name in 1526 from the Portuguese Menezes, who was surprised by the hair of the local population. After 20 years, Iñigo Ortiz de Retes arrived on the island, who gave this place the name of New Guinea. In his opinion, the locals were like the Guinean aborigines who lived in Africa.

The name of the country changed several times from the beginning of European colonization to the independence of the state. It wasn't until 1975 that the island became officially known as Papua New Guinea.

The islands of this state are surrounded by thousands of reefs, lagoons, underwater plateaus, which are full of unique marine life. Here you can plunge into the world of sunken ships that disappeared from the face of the earth during the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries and the Second World War.

Climate and weather

The country reigns tropical climate with high humidity. As a rule, this area is characterized by stable weather throughout the year. The average daily temperature is about +26 ºС, and the seasons differ from each other only in the amount of precipitation, so the division is not made into winter and summer, but into the rainy season and the dry season. True, for each place these seasons come at different times.

Only coastal areas are truly hot. Concerning mountainous areas, then the local climate is significantly different from the plain. The temperature here is much lower, but the precipitation is much more. At an altitude of more than 2500 m, the average temperature does not exceed +10 ºС. For almost all the time in the mountains there is a light drizzle, from time to time you can get under the hail.

Nature

The nature of this area is unique. You will not find such a variety of flora and fauna anywhere else.

Most of the surface of all the islands of New Guinea is covered with different-sized mountains. The main part of the territory is raised to a height of 1000 meters above sea level. At the same time, there are also such mountains that reach a height of 4.5 km, which classifies them as belts of eternal snow. Papua New Guinea has 18 active volcanoes.

The flora and fauna of these places is especially diverse. More than 20,000 different plant species can be found in this area. wide band mangrove plants(sometimes up to 35 kilometers) goes along the coast of New Guinea. This area is very swampy, therefore it is impassable. You can cross it only by swimming along the rivers, along which there are wild thickets of sugar cane and groves of sago palms.

Hundreds of species of trees grow in dense tropical rainforests, and recently vegetable gardens and entire plantations have become more common. Here it is customary to grow sugar cane, coconut palms, bananas and tubers such as sweet potato, yams, taro, cassava and others. Only two or three years gardens are to be cultivated. After that, the area is again overgrown with forest for the next 10-12 years. So the locals maintain the fertility of the soil.

Where the forests rise to a height of 1000-2000 meters, the vegetation becomes more and more monotonous. Mostly coniferous species are found here, in particular - araucaria, which are of great economic importance, since valuable building material is obtained from their wood.

The highlands are dominated meadows and shrubs. And in the hollows of the mountains, where the climate is drier, grassy vegetation is more common.

The fauna here is also diverse. There are especially many reptiles, insects and, of course, birds in these places. As in neighboring Australia, mammals are represented more by marsupial breeds of animals - wallabies, bandicoots, couscous. Turtles and crocodiles can be found on the banks of the rivers. The bird world is represented by such unique exhibits as birds of paradise, cassowaries, crowned pigeons, weed chickens and parrots. And with the Europeans, pigs, domestic chickens and dogs came into this world.

Attractions

On the territory of Papua New Guinea there are a lot of natural attractions. One of the main is the two-top shield Giluve volcano, which is located in the Southern Highlands. The volcano is the second highest peak in the country, reaches a mark of 4368 meters and is the highest in the entire territory of Oceania and Australia. Alpine bows are located all over its surface.

In addition to a large number of historical and natural attractions, there is also a huge archaeological monument - the agricultural settlement of Cook, better known in the world under the name cook marshes. It is located in the Western Highlands, at an altitude of more than one and a half kilometers above sea level. The area of ​​this historical monument is 116 hectares. Archaeological excavations and research have been carried out here since 1960.

Another well-known natural attraction is the river natural bayer nature reserve and other nature reserves, parks, gardens, each of which is inimitable and unique. Bayer Nature Reserve itself is located 55 km from Mount Hagen, in the Bayer River basin. It is here that it is best to get acquainted with the animal and plant world of these places.

A popular place is Lake Kutbu, in the waters of which several species of rare fish live. It is located 800 meters above sea level in the Southern Highlands and covers an area of ​​​​49 km² (only Lake Murray is larger than it). The reservoir is surrounded by wetlands and swampy forests, which are protected by the state.

Varirata National Park, which is the first national park in the country, is located 42 km from the capital and occupies more than a thousand hectares. Once this territory was a hunting ground for the tribes living here. An object of cult purpose is dedicated to these times - the "tree-house" of the Koiaris tribe.

National Botanical Park in the capital is ranked among the main tourist sites of the country. This place is regularly visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world, as well as local residents from different regions. The park is famous for its giant collection of orchids, hanging trails and the “plant map” of the country.

The next must-see place to visit should be " Gardens of Eden» in the Foya mountains — a unique rainforest, untouched by civilization, isolated from the outside world, where there is not a single path or path.

The best place to get acquainted with the local architecture, history, culture and nature can only be National Museum. All the diverse and rich heritage of the state is collected in this truly spiritual center. The museum is made in the form of a complex consisting of many rooms located in different parts of the capital.

Nutrition

National nutrition is quite different from the European type we are used to. Local cuisine is represented by meat and fish dishes with the addition of various vegetables (usually stewed) and fruits (papayas, mangoes, pineapples, bananas, passion fruit).

The basis of the traditional cuisine of this country are kaukau, taro, sago, yam and pig. A popular local dish is Mu Mu» - a mixture of sweet potatoes, pork, herbs, rice, spices.

However, thanks to a very well-developed tourism and the flow of foreign (particularly European) guests, Chinese, European, Indonesian restaurants and cafes are increasingly opening here. As alcoholic beverages in Papua New Guinea, Filipino and Australian beer is common.

Accommodation

In Papua New Guinea, there are many opportunities to spend the night in comfort. In this case, everyone will find an acceptable price category. Those who do not allow finances to live in luxury can stay with local residents at any time practically for free, spending only symbolically on breakfast.

Those who want more comfortable conditions are offered a hotel. Kimbe Bay. It is surrounded by tropical gardens, and near the building there are coral reefs where you can ideally spend time diving. The hotel will please its guests with air conditioning, free internet and cozy rooms. There are also 2 bars and 2 restaurants.

There is another decent hotel in the port of Kimbe, Kimbe Bay West New Britain with windows overlooking the coast. It stands right on the New Britain Island Highway. Every morning in the hotel restaurant you can enjoy a "buffet". The rest of the time you can try national exotic dishes from any country in the world. The hotel has a currency exchange office, as well as secure parking.

Entertainment and recreation

In Papua New Guinea, you can find a huge number of different entertainments.

One of the most colorful and original local amusements is the large-scale folk dance festival " sing sing". In September, it is held in the city of Goroka at the foot of the mountain in memory of the country's Independence Day. Every year more than 90 Papuan tribes from all the islands of the state come here (and there are about 600 of them!). Thousands of natives in war paint, in national clothes and jewelry unite to jointly perform the traditional sing-sing dance, sing, beat drums, perform ritual ceremonies and just communicate. Due to the fact that the festival is a multinational lively and cheerful musical performance, a huge number of tourists and ethnographers from all over the world flock here. Here guests of the country can buy unique souvenirs of the festival, which will remind you of the holiday for many years.

Fans of club life will definitely enjoy the nightclub Lamana Gold Club. It is located in the heart of the Lamana Hotel in the capital and holds the title of the largest and best nightclub in all of Papua New Guinea. Here fireworks are launched and dancing in the open air on two dance floors. It offers tourists five bars, karaoke, game rooms and live music.

Purchases

Papua New Guinea has a huge number of shops where you can buy unique local products. Remember that here in the markets and shops it is not customary to bargain.

All shops are usually open five days a week and are open from 9 am to 5 pm. Saturday is a working day, but not until the evening, but until one in the afternoon. Some shops are open on Sunday.

In a large number of large shopping centers and restaurants, you will be able to present international credit cards for payment. But finding ATMs can be problematic. They are available only in the capital, but you can use them only if you have an account in local banks. Using credit cards in the province will be almost impossible.

In most major cities, travelers checks can be exchanged for cash. But not all branches can work with traveler's checks, so you should prepare for long queues.

In many remote areas of the country, only local currency will be accepted for payment. At the same time, you can practically not hope for change, because there is a clear shortage of small bills.

Transport

Between New Guinea and the rest of the islands established coastal shipping. Main airport located in the capital - Port Moresby.

In this country it is customary to take rental car to be able to independently explore all the beauties of the area. True, they will give you a car only if you have a driver's license, driving experience and a credit card.

And here is the system Taxi it is not developed here, because there are practically no central roads in the country.

After you arrive at the local airport, we recommend that you immediately purchase a telephone SIM card from a local telecom operator. If you need to call abroad, then you can do this at any call center or through an operator from the hotel where you are staying.

Be sure to write down the emergency numbers you may need - the police can be reached on 000, the fire department on 110, and the ambulance can be called on 3256822.

Safety

The main problem in Papua New Guinea is fraud. There are frequent cases of car theft and petty street crime. And the local police often try to make money on the same tourists. The crime rate is especially high in large cities, for example, in the capital Port Moresby. There you can observe such a bandit phenomenon as " splitism"- a special system of youth gangs that engage in murder, kidnapping, violence, extortion, robbery and theft.

We recommend getting vaccinated against malaria, cholera and typhoid before your trip. True, this does not apply to those tourists who will eat exclusively in hotels and restaurants. All travelers older than one year are also recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, Japanese encephalitis, polio. In recent years, the country began to become much more AIDS patients.

Be careful with cuts and other skin injuries, because even the most harmless scratch or skin irritation in the realities of this climate can cause you a lot of problems.

Business climate

Papua New Guinea has a huge amount of useful resources, however, in the conditions of this area, their extraction is quite difficult. Nevertheless, two-thirds of the foreign exchange income is brought to the country by the development of gold, copper ore and oil deposits.

The main local industry is the mining and processing of silver, gold, oil, processing of copra, copper ore, wood processing, palm oil production and construction.

Agriculture also brings considerable profit to the state. Cocoa, coffee, coconuts, copra, sugarcane, tea, sweet potatoes, rubber, vegetables, fruits, vanilla are grown here. Shrimps, crabs and other seafood are also exported. The main buyers of all these natural resources are Japan, Australia and China.

• Upon arrival in the country, you can almost everywhere change the currency for local banknotes. This can be done not only in bank branches, but also in hotels, airports, large shopping centers. There are also private exchange offices that deal with the exchange.
• In Papua New Guinea, it is not customary to leave a tip. The amount shown on the invoice is usually the final amount.
• You should be aware that any non-bottled water here is unfit for drinking.
• Some species of sharks swim around the island, as well as many different poisonous sea creatures.
• It is forbidden to import antiques, weapons, wild animals and birds, seeds and plants, pornographic items and drugs into the country. But it is forbidden to export antiques and everything that was found on the seabed from the country.

Visa information

Russian citizens must open a visa before traveling to Papua New Guinea. There is no embassy of this country in the Russian Federation, so you will have to apply for a tourist visa at the consulate in Brussels, the consular department in London or the Australian embassy in Moscow. Depending on the option you choose to open a visa, the procedure for paying the consular fee, the procedure for submitting documents and the terms for issuing a visa change.

To date, the consular fee is $ 35.

Address of the Australian embassy in Moscow: Podkolokolny lane, 10A/2.

Phone: (+7 495) 956 6070.

The Consulate in St. Petersburg is located on Petrovsky Prospekt, 14, office. 22-N.

Phone: (+7 812) 334 3327.