New Guinea (island): origin, description, territory, population. Where is the island of New Guinea located? Papua New Guinea

From time immemorial, Russian and foreign sailors began to explore the islands located in the Pacific Ocean. These natural complexes are so amazing and unusual that they are considered to be separate continents with their own culture and way of life. From school, we all remember that in Oceania after Greenland is Papua New Guinea.

The island is washed by several seas: New Guinea, Solomon, Coral, as well as the Gulf of Papua. N. N. Miklukho-Maklai, a Russian biologist and navigator who made a significant contribution to geography, history and science, was engaged in a close study of natural resources, local culture and the indigenous population. Thanks to this man, the world learned about the existence of wild jungles and original tribes.

True, tours to the island in Oceania are not in great demand, while they remain rare. But travelers who have visited the local jungle, untouched by civilization, recall their vacation with rapture and delight. Rich vegetation, exotic wildlife, amazing landscapes, a variety of languages, customs and cultures leave an indelible impression in the memory. Our publication is dedicated to this state.

Geographical description of the island of New Guinea

The tropical island is located in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, connecting two parts of the world: Asia and Australia. It has been an independent state since 1975, is also part of the British Commonwealth and is a member of the UN. Its capital is the city of Port Moresby. The origin of the island of New Guinea is mainland. Almost the entire territory is covered with massive hills, rocky ridges.

Most of them are of volcanic origin, rising to 3000 meters above sea level. According to scientific data, Wilhelm is considered the highest mountain, which reaches 4509 meters. Between the hills there are wide hollows filled with water, densely planted with tropical trees.

Several rivers flow on the island: Ramu, Sepik, Markham, Purari, Fly. Scientists involved in the geological study of the island claim that the continent has a high seismic activity. The last eruption was recorded in the last century, during which thousands of people suffered, and agriculture was also greatly damaged.

New Guinea Island: population

Life on tropical islands originated thousands of years ago, no one can name the exact date. The last census took place in 1900, at that time the population was about 10 million people. The indigenous people are the Papuans, belonging to the equatorial race. In addition to the Melanesians - as this nation is also called - Asians and even Europeans live.

The lack of civilization, jobs, as well as unfavorable living conditions and the presence of a high crime situation are forcing the natives to migrate from the "mainland" of New Guinea. The island lives according to its customs and laws. Papuans create clans, tribes, choose elders, without whom important tasks and decisions are not made.

The main occupation of the population is agriculture. Wild tribes plow the land, plant palm trees with bananas, coconuts, and pineapples. Fishing and hunting are no less popular. Some natives mine precious metals, after which they sell them on the black market.

Climatic conditions

The huge masses of water and the insignificant size of the land have influenced the climate as a whole. In the north, there is a humid equatorial climate, characterized by heavy rains, slight winds. The summer temperature regime fluctuates between +30...+32 °С, slightly decreasing at night.

The southern part of the mainland is ruled by the subequatorial climatic zone. In the winter months (January-February), strong winds dominate the island of Papua New Guinea. The island, or rather the southeast (May-August) and the central part, is heavily flooded with tropical rains.

The rest of the coastal area (lowland) undergoes drought until late autumn. In areas with high mountains and ridges, a small amount of precipitation falls, since the highlands act as a protective barrier against cold air masses and rains.

Economic situation

The relief of the ridges prevents the construction of highways and connecting paths. To date, there is no land communication with large New Guinea. The island has only air communication with the Pacific regions. To maintain and develop the economy, the state in Oceania regularly receives financial support from Australia.

However, the infrastructure remains at an antediluvian level. The main reason is non-compliance with the law on the part of local residents. Crime and civil strife flare up in rural areas. In order to protect their property from robbery and ruin, residents create communities.

The main activity of the population is agriculture. Thus, market relations are established between tribes and regions. Sweet potatoes and tea are cultivated in the mountainous regions; vegetables, bananas, yams, and taro are cultivated in the lowlands. They grow different cereals, fruit, coffee and chocolate trees. Animal husbandry is practiced. Papua New Guinea is rich in mineral resources. The mining industry is actively developing.

Flora

The territory of the island of New Guinea is covered with evergreen savannas. Valuable species of plants and relic trees grow in the jungle: sago and coconut palms, melon and mango, rubber plants, ficuses, bamboos, pandanuses, casuarinas. The forests contain pines and ferns. And in the swampy areas grow mangroves. Along the banks of the rivers you can see thickets of sugar cane.

Fauna

The animal world is rich and varied. Alligators, dangerous and poisonous snakes, as well as lizards and chameleons are found in local rivers. The fauna is represented by amazing insects, exotic birds and reptiles. Birds of paradise, cassowaries, large parrots live on the mainland. Large turtles crawl along the coast. In the forests there are marsupial badgers, kangaroos, couscous. Local residents breed animals familiar to our region: pigs, cows, horses, goats and other livestock.

Tourist orientation

Avid travelers know where the island of New Guinea is located, and therefore tend to get here in the summer months to see the colorful and diverse world of the jungle. In warm weather, enchanting festivals with national dances of the natives are organized here. Many are attracted by sightseeing holidays in the wild jungle with a local guide, others are attracted by acquaintance with the sights of nearby resorts.

Things to do?

Having purchased a tour to Papua New Guinea, be sure to go diving. Every hotel and inn offer similar services. The waters of the Pacific Ocean are an unusually colorful world, teeming with coral reefs, amazing sea creatures, and large predators. At the bottom of the ocean you can see sunken ships and planes.

Surfing and windsurfing are equally popular. The best beaches for this extreme activity are the coasts of the resorts of Wewak, Madang, Vanimo, Alotau. It is allowed to fish in coastal waters, which is what guests of the island do. It is possible to catch mackerel, giant trevally, dog-toothed tuna, barracuda, salmon, perch and many other trophies. Rafting, canoeing, kayaking, boat trips are in great demand.

Papua New Guinea is a natural wonder of the world, fraught with many mysteries and seductive with its resources. If you are not afraid of tropical mosquito bites and the aggressive behavior of the Papuans, then feel free to purchase a tour to the picturesque island.

Tropical rainforests grow. The western part of the island is the territory of Indonesia, and the eastern part is occupied by the state of Papua New Guinea.

Geography

Flora and fauna

Along the coast of the island of New Guinea, a wide (in some places up to 35 km) strip of mangrove vegetation stretches. This swampy zone is completely impassable and can only be crossed by sailing along the rivers. Thickets of wild sugarcane grow along the rivers, and groves of sago palms grow in wetlands.

Dense rainforests, formed by hundreds of tree species, rise up the slopes of the mountains. However, now there are also plantations and orchards. Coconut palms, bananas, sugar cane, melon tree, tubers - taro, yams, sweet potato, cassava and other crops grow. Gardens alternate with forests. Plots of land are cultivated for only 2-3 years, then overgrown with forest for 10-12 years. Thus fertility is restored.

Above 1000-2000 m, forests become more uniform in composition, conifers begin to predominate in them, especially araucaria. These trees are of economic importance: their wood is a valuable building material. However, the delivery of sawn timber is difficult due to the paucity of good roads.

The highlands of New Guinea are covered with shrubs and meadows. In the intermountain basins, where the climate is drier, herbaceous vegetation is widespread, which arose in place of forests mainly as a result of fires.

The fauna is represented by reptiles, insects and especially numerous birds. For the fauna of mammals, as in neighboring Australia, only representatives of marsupials are characteristic - bandicoot (marsupial badger), wallaby (tree kangaroo), couscous, etc. In the forests and on the coast there are many snakes, including poisonous ones, and lizards. Crocodiles and turtles are found near the sea coasts and in large rivers. Of the birds, cassowaries, birds of paradise, crowned pigeons, parrots, weed chickens are characteristic. Europeans brought domestic chickens, dogs and pigs to the island. Feral pigs, as well as rats, field mice and some other animals have spread widely throughout the island.

"Garden of Eden"

In 2005, a group of American researchers discovered a place in the rainforests of the mountainous region of New Guinea, which they called the "Garden of Eden".

This area of ​​about 300 thousand hectares is located on the slopes of the Foggia Mountains in the western part of New Guinea and was isolated from the influence of the outside world.

Scientists have discovered in the "Garden of Eden" more than 20 previously unknown species of frogs, four new species of butterflies, five species of palm trees unknown to science, and many other plants. Several species of the rarest marsupials were found - tree kangaroos, as well as the six-feathered "bird of paradise" Berlepsha, previously considered extinct.

All animals - the inhabitants of the highlands - are not afraid of humans, in particular, the rare long-beaked prochidna allowed scientists to pull themselves together.

Story

Early history

In ancient times, New Guinea was connected to Australia. The division occurred as a result of rising global sea levels relatively recently. This explains the presence on New Guinea of ​​numerous species of marsupials living in Australia. Human settlement occurred at least 45 thousand years BC. e. from Asia. Subsequently, more than a thousand Papuan-Melanesian tribes descended from the settlers. The absence of large, domesticable animals on the island hindered the development of agriculture and made cattle breeding impossible. This contributed to the preservation of the primitive communal system in large areas of New Guinea up to the present day. The diversity of languages ​​and many tribes was due to the isolation of people from each other due to the mountainous landscape and the lack of technical means to promote communication and cultural exchange.

On the territory of New Guinea, there is an ancient agricultural settlement of Kuka, showing the isolated development of agriculture over 7-10 millennia and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Discovery by Europeans

Long before the discovery of New Guinea by Europeans, inhabitants of the ancient Indonesian states hunted here for slaves and exotic birds. Already in the 8th century, the lords of the Srivijaya empire from the island of Sumatra gave the Chinese emperors of the Tang Dynasty black slaves caught on the New Guinean shores and many parrots. On the bas-reliefs of the largest Javanese temple of Borobudur (the first half of the 9th century), one can see images of such “orang papua” - curly-haired people.

The discoverers of New Guinea were Spanish and Portuguese navigators at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1526, the Portuguese don Jorge de Menezes landed on the northwestern coast of the island, according to legend, he called the lands he discovered Ilhas dos Papuas- "Islands of Papua", from the Malay word meaning "curly"; apparently, the coarse curly hair of the Melanesian natives was meant.

In the 1870s, the territory was explored by Russian scientists. In 1875, the scientist N. N. Miklukho-Maclay requested the government of the Russian Empire with a proposal to establish a Russian protectorate over part of the island, which was later named after the scientist Miklukho-Maclay Coast, but Alexander II rejected his proposal.

In the 1880s, the rest of the island was divided between the Netherlands, Great Britain and the German Empire. The western half of New Guinea remained behind the Netherlands, the British acquired the southeast, the Germans - the northeast, which they called Kaiser Wilhelm Land. In 1885 and in 1895, Great Britain and Germany, who owned lands in the eastern part of New Guinea, recognized the authority of the Netherlands over the western part of the island. The border between Dutch New Guinea and its eastern part ran along 141 degrees east longitude.

The British part was given to Australia in, and the German after

This state is located in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean and occupies the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, as well as many nearby islands, as well as the Bismarck archipelago, part of the Solomon Islands. and others. For a long time it was a colony of European countries, recently Great Britain, whose influence here and now is great.

Papua New Guinea is a strange, mysterious country filled with aboriginal tribes and infinitely beautiful nature.

Settlers from other lands reached Papua New Guinea from the Asian mainland more than 50 thousand years ago. Numerous waves of migration passed through the territory of these islands, going to Australia and the islands of Oceania. As a result, many unique ethnic groups have formed here, often isolated from each other.

The first Europeans to reach the western shores of Papua New Guinea in the 16th century were the Portuguese. They called it - "Ilhas dos Papuas" - the island of the Papuans. The name "New Guinea" was given to the island by the Dutch, who saw in the dark-skinned locals an analogy with the blacks of African Guinea. Europeans did not penetrate into the eastern part of New Guinea until the end of the 18th century. It is believed that they were afraid of those very warlike and cruel cannibals who ate Cook.

A piece of heaven

And now Papua New Guinea is almost a land of wild and unexplored nature, with harsh conditions and unique landscapes. The area of ​​this country is slightly larger than Germany, but the local diversity of living beings and natural complexes can be compared with the whole of Eurasia.

Here you will find suffocating areas with damp jungles, giving way to cold mountainous terrain. Next to each other are centuries-old swamps and coral reefs, limestone cliffs and emerald green plains. Unique animals live here, from tiny tree kangaroos or birds of paradise to huge butterflies. It is this diversity, still completely untouched by man, that attracts thousands of researchers, anthropologists and travelers here.

Attractions Papua New Guinea

On the territory of Papua New Guinea, as you already understood, there are a lot of attractions of natural origin. For example, the two-peak volcano Giluve, located in the Southern Highlands. The volcano has a height of 4368 meters and is the second highest peak in the country, and the highest in the entire territory of Oceania and Australia. All over its surface there are meadows similar to alpine ones.

A huge archaeological site is the agricultural settlement of Cook, also known as the Cook Marshes. It is located in the West, on the highlands, at an altitude of more than one and a half kilometers above sea level and has an area of ​​116 hectares. Archaeological excavations and research have been carried out here since 1960.

Bayer Nature Reserve is located 55 km from Mount Hagen, in the Bayer River basin.

Papua has many natural river nature reserves, parks, inimitable and unique gardens.

A popular place is Lake Kutubu (see photo above), which is home to several species of rare fish. It is located 800 meters above sea level in the Southern Highlands and covers an area of ​​49 km². 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.

The National Botanical Park in the capital is one of 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 should be the "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 the 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.

Now in Papua

Over the past 100 years, the territory of Papua New Guinea has also been affected by the Second World War. Actually, the very name of the country appeared only in 1949, when its territory came under the control of Australia as a UN Trust Territory.

The Australians took steps to strengthen the centralization of government with the participation of representatives of local tribes. Stronger ties began to be established with overpopulated mountain areas. In 1953, the first road was built from the coast through the Kassam Pass to the mountains. The administration sought to improve the systems of medical care and education, and religious missions carried out considerable work in this direction.

In 1967, the Pangu Pati, a national political party, was founded. After the 1972 elections, this party formed a coalition government, which achieved the country's independence on September 16, 1975. Nevertheless, Papua New Guinea is not calm everywhere and now, there are separatists.

So if one of the wealthy Russian and tourists in general gets there, you need to find out where you can go and where not. From Russia, it’s definitely far for us to go there, and obviously expensive. But where we were not .... see for yourself:

I am starting to fulfill applications from, by the way, there are 4 more places vacant for your proposals - who missed it? And we read the proposed topic by a friend unis

Papua New Guinea is a state in Oceania, the main territory of which is located in the east of the island of New Guinea and neighboring, smaller islands (New Britain, New Ireland, etc.). It is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its seas: Arafura and Coral.

The name of the country is formed from two parts: "Papua", which in Malay means "the land of people with curly hair" (as the Malays called the locals, whose hair is mostly straight) and "New Guinea" - because of the dark the skin color of the natives, which seemed to Europeans similar to the skin color of the natives from African Guinea.

It occupies the eastern half of New Guinea (this part of the country is considered the "mainland"), the Bismarck archipelago (with the large islands of New Britain and New Ireland), the Bougainville and Buka islands in the Solomon Islands chain, the Louisiade archipelagos, D "Entrecasteaux, Trobriand and a number of smaller islands.The territories that are now part of the state were formerly divided into two administrative units: Papua (the southeastern region of New Guinea with adjacent islands), which belonged to Australia, and the northeastern part of New Guinea with nearby islands, which had UN Trust Territory status and administered by Australia.

In 1949, both parts were integrated by the Australian authorities into the so-called. administrative union. This association in 1971 was named Papua New Guinea, and in 1973 acquired internal self-government. On September 16, 1973, the independence of the country was proclaimed. Papua New Guinea is a member of the UN and the British Commonwealth. Area 462,840 sq. km. The population is 4599.8 thousand people (1998). The capital is Port Moresby on the southeast coast of New Guinea.

Probably the first settlers arrived in the region of present-day Papua New Guinea by sea from Southeast Asia c. 30 thousand years ago, when New Guinea, Australia and Tasmania were connected by land bridges and represented a single landmass. These people, speakers of the Papuan languages, were engaged in hunting and gathering, and much later, perhaps, began to cultivate and grow some plants. The second significant wave of population migration occurred about 6 thousand years ago. Newcomers who spoke Austronesian languages ​​introduced more advanced economic and cultural traditions. In New Guinea, they set about clearing tropical rainforests and draining swamps in intermountain basins to cultivate sweet potatoes, taro, and other crops brought from Southeast Asia. Narrowly specialized communities of potters, salt workers, canoe builders, stonemasons appeared. The inhabitants of the coastal regions were skilled navigators and regularly traveled in large canoes to distant islands, offering their products and jewelry there. The shores of New Guinea became known to Portuguese and Spanish merchants on their way to the East Indies from the 16th century. They were followed by Dutch, French and English expeditions. The number of foreign ships entering these waters increased in connection with the founding of the British colony in Australia at the end of the 18th century. and the development of whaling in the Pacific in the 19th century. In 1847, Catholic missionaries settled on the island of Murua (Woodlark), located in the Solomon Sea, and traders and travelers established contacts with many coastal tribes.

However, for a long time, Europeans could not penetrate into the interior of New Guinea with its rugged terrain, dense forests and vast swamps - breeding grounds for malaria. In addition, the locals had a bad reputation as cannibals. In 1872 the London Missionary Society established a mission on the islands in the Torres Strait and then on the south coast of New Guinea. The Wesleyan Methodist Mission was established in the Duke of York Islands in 1875, and the Catholic Mission in the east of New Britain in 1882. fishing for pearls and shells or rushed to search for the legendary gold of the South Seas. Although Melanesians from the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides were mainly hired to work on the plantations of Queensland, Fiji and Samoa, the recruiters did not ignore the inhabitants of the coastal and inland regions of modern Papua New Guinea. Australia showed increased interest in this territory, and in 1883 Queensland annexed the eastern part of New Guinea, ostensibly acting on behalf of Great Britain.

Rainwater and underground streams combined underground to create a maze of tunnels known as Ora Cave in Papua New Guinea. (Stephen Alvarez, National Geographic)

However, due to pressure from Australia and taking into account Germany's intentions to create its own Pacific empire, Great Britain in 1884 captured the southeastern part of New Guinea with neighboring islands and created a colony there called British New Guinea. Germany annexed to her empire the northeastern part of New Guinea and the islands to the east of it; This colony was named German New Guinea. The German administration tried to establish trade with its colony, but commercial production projects were hampered by malaria and difficulties in appeasing local tribes and hiring labor, especially in the coastal lowlands. Nevertheless, German companies launched the production of copra on plantations in the Bismarck archipelago. Then plantations appeared on the island of Bougainville. The German colonial authorities treated the Melanesians strictly and even harshly, but at the same time they sought to impart practical knowledge to them. The German Catholic and Protestant missionaries were guided by the idea that their efforts would contribute to the "enlightenment" of the natives.

Missionaries also intensified their activities in British New Guinea, which was considered an unpromising territory. In 1888, gold was found in the Louisiade archipelago, and hundreds of Australian prospectors rushed to the interior of New Guinea. In the 1920s, rich gold-bearing placers were discovered along the Bulolo River. In 1906, British New Guinea was ceded to Australia and renamed the Territory of Papua. Her affairs from 1908 to 1940 were handled by Governor Hubert Murray. At the start of World War I in 1914, German New Guinea was occupied by Australian troops. At the end of the war, Australia received a mandate from the League of Nations to administer the former German colony, which became known as the Territory of New Guinea. German plantations and trading companies also passed into Australian ownership.

The plantation economy in this mandate, unlike Papua, developed successfully until the economic crisis of the 1930s. In the next 20 years, prospectors, missionaries and government officials rushed into the vast intermountain valleys of New Guinea. The population of the coastal regions and the islands, who were mainly engaged in subsistence farming, gradually began to introduce cash crops into circulation. However, the development of commodity-money circulation was more facilitated by men who were hired to work on plantations or gold mines for modest wages and food. Religious missions provided the Melanesians with some education and medical care. Before the Second World War, all these changes gradually occurred in the plains, but little affected the mountainous regions.

In 1942, the Japanese troops captured the northern part of New Guinea, part of the Bismarck archipelago and the island of Bougainville. They occupied some areas for four years. The rest of what is now Papua New Guinea remained under Australian control. During the war, over a million Australian and American troops visited New Guinea. Part of the indigenous population, especially in the Sepik valley and Bougainville, suffered greatly due to military operations and bombing.

Killed American soldiers in Papua New Guinea.

In some places, for example, on Manus Island, large military bases were placed. The inhabitants of the mountainous regions were little affected by the war. After the war, the northeastern part of New Guinea came under the administration of Australia as a UN Trust Territory, and in 1949 was merged with Papua. The new administrative unit was named Papua New Guinea.

Australia tried to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country and improve the welfare of the Melanesian population. Measures were taken to strengthen centralized management with the participation of representatives of the local population. Particular attention was paid to overpopulated mountainous areas, contacts with which have been established relatively recently. In 1953, the first road was built from the coast through the Kassam Pass to the mountains. The administration sought to improve the systems of medical care and education, and religious missions carried out considerable work in this direction. In 1964, general elections were held and a Legislative Assembly was formed, where most of the seats were taken by the natives. New government institutions arose, and old ones were transformed.

Laws that infringed on the rights of the Melanesians were repealed. In the same 1964, the University of Papua New Guinea opened in Port Moresby. In the 1970s and 1980s, the mining industry became the main lever for the country's economic development. In 1972, the exploitation of copper and gold deposits began in Bougainville, where the plantation economy was replaced by a more modern industry with advanced technologies. Similar trends have emerged in some other areas of Papua New Guinea, where new roads, cities and ports have been built. In 1967, the national political party "Pangu Pati" was founded. After the 1972 elections, it formed a coalition government headed by Michael T. Somare, which resolutely sought to grant the country independence. This goal was reached on September 16, 1975.

Laguna Madang is the largest on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The political situation in the young state became more complicated in connection with the separatist movement on the island of Bougainville. The roots of this movement date back to 1884, when Germany annexed part of the Solomon Islands to its colony of New Guinea, breaking the ethno-linguistic ties of the population of this archipelago. Separatist sentiments hovered in the air for many years and manifested themselves on the eve of the declaration of independence of Papua New Guinea. The creation of the provincial government of the Northern Solomon Islands in 1976 defused the situation, but did not solve the problem itself. The situation worsened in connection with the construction of a giant complex for the extraction of copper ore in Bougainville. The reason for the armed conflict that broke out in 1988 was initially the dissatisfaction of local landowners with the amount of compensation received from the Bougainville Copper mining company. Other claims followed, and eventually a demand was made for Bougainville's independence. As a result of clashes between the local population and the army units and the police of Papua New Guinea, 15-20 thousand people were killed on both sides. Repeated attempts to achieve calm in the area for a long time remained without results. Only in 1998 did peace negotiations begin and there was hope for their successful completion.

Papua New Guinea is washed by the Arafura, Coral, Solomon and New Guinea Seas, as well as the Pacific Ocean. The country is separated from Australia by the Torres Strait, about 160 km wide. The state has a land border only with Indonesia (in the west), which is drawn along the 141 meridian and only in a small area deviates to the west along with the Fly River. It borders by sea with Australia (in the south), the Solomon Islands (in the southeast), Nauru (in the east) and the Federated States of Micronesia (in the north).

The island of New Guinea and most of the country's other islands are mountainous. The height of a significant part of the territory is more than 1000 m above sea level, and some peaks of New Guinea reach 4500 m, that is, the belt of eternal snow. Many of the mountain ranges are chains of volcanoes. Papua New Guinea has 18 active volcanoes. Most of them are located in the north of the country. Strong, sometimes catastrophic earthquakes are also associated with volcanic activity.

The main ranges of the eastern part of the island of New Guinea begin with a strip of 50 km directly from the border with Indonesia (the Star Mountains, which are a continuation of the Snowy Mountains), gradually expanding to 250 km in the central part (the Central Range, the Bismarck Range with the country's highest point - Mount Wilhelm - 4509 m high, Schroeder Ridge, Muller Ridge and others). Further to the southeast, the mountains become narrower and lower (they pass into the Owen Stanley Range, with a maximum height of 4072 - Mount Victoria) and at the southeastern tip of the island they submerge under water. Some peaks rise above the water forming the Luizada archipelago. The northern slopes of these mountains are steep, while the southern slopes are gentle. The southern foothill zone of the Central Range is commonly referred to as the Papua Plateau. The closer to the sea, the lower this plateau is, and gradually turns into a swampy lowland.

Parallel to the central mountains, the low spurs of the Northern Coastal Mountains enter the territory of Papua New Guinea from Indonesia: partly the Bewani Mountains (up to 1960 m high), the Torricelli Mountains (the highest point is Mount Sulen, 1650 m high), the Prince Alexander Mountains (the highest point is Mt. Turu, 1240 m high). Coastal mountains end in lowlands (valleys of the Sepik and Ramu rivers). As part of these mountains, the Adelbert Mountains (the highest point is Mount Mengam, 1718 m high), lying on the right bank of the Ramu River near the mouth, as well as the Finistere and Saruvaged Mountains located on the Huon Peninsula, with a maximum height of 4121 m (Mount Bangeta ). In addition to the main island, there are significant ridges on the islands of New Britain (Whiteman Ridge, Nakani and Baining Mountains, with a maximum height of 2334 m - Ulawun Volcano) and New Ireland (Scheinitz and Worron Ranges, with heights up to 2340 m).

The national cuisine of Papua New Guinea is a rather colorful mixture of the culinary traditions of various peoples of Oceania and Southeast Asia. As a rule, the basis of most dishes are various root vegetables and meats such as pork and various poultry (including game).
One of the most common dishes among the local population is "mumu", which is an oven-cooked stew of pork, sweet potatoes, rice and several local herbs. The first is usually served with "bugandi" - a simple soup seasoned with eggs. In coastal regions, meat dishes are usually replaced by various types of fish, which are caught in abundance in the seas that wash the shores of Papua New Guinea. In most cases, rice or sorghum is a side dish for meat or fish, yams and a peculiar taste of taro cereal are also popular.

As appetizers before the main course, various salads made from vegetables and those root crops that can be eaten raw are popular. Bread is often replaced with specially fried breadfruit.
For dessert, a variety of fruits are offered - from bananas and mangoes to passion fruit and pineapples. Also popular is the dessert "dia" - sliced ​​​​bananas, sago and coconut cream. Sago is also used to make sweet pies with various fillings. Sweet sugarcane stalks are especially popular in coastal areas.
You can quench your thirst in Papua New Guinea with local lemonade (“muli-wara”), good local coffee or an incredible variety of fresh fruit juices, including those made from a mixture of various fruits.
European cuisine is distributed mainly in the capital of the country, Port Moresby, and in areas of the main tourist routes.

Port Moresby is the capital of New Guinea, it is a city that is located in the southeastern part of the young island of New Guinea. In addition to being the capital of the state of Papua New Guinea, it is also the center of the Port Moresby district.

In general, the population here consists of Melanesians and Papuans. Pidgin English (adapted English) is recognized as the official language. Despite this, more than 700 languages ​​are spoken here, and this is not counting the various dialects. The thing is that the tribal system thrives on the island, and the language directly depends on belonging to a particular tribe. In addition to the indigenous population, Europeans and Australians also live in Port Moresby.
Christianity flourishes in the city. According to statistics, 30% of the population are Catholics, 60% are Protestants. The remaining 10% consider themselves atheists or profess an animistic faith.

The city was founded in 1873 when John Moresby arrived on the island. The Englishman liked the beautiful and quiet bay, and he named it after his own. So this untouched area became Port Moresby.

In 1884 the future capital of papua new guinea became part of New Guinea, which at that time was a colony of Great Britain. Further, the colony of Papua came under the rule of Australia, and only after 43 years merged with New Guinea. In 1964, the first elections were held, as a result of which the Aboriginal people gained power. In the same year, the National University of Papua New Guinea was opened. In 1975, the young state became completely independent and began to actively develop. Port Moresby became the capital of Papua New Guinea.

The central part of the city, along which the port line runs, is simply called by the locals - Town. Ela Beach Park is located in the southern part of the city. Architectural monuments are mainly located in the center, in the historical part. They stand out strongly among modern buildings. For example, between office buildings and hotels, it’s hard not to notice El’s church, built in 1890.

Government buildings, as well as the business part of the city, are located in the north. There is also a large sports center. He has been working here since 1980.
Cultural assets include the National University and the Papua New Guinea Museum. The flag is as unusual as the capital itself: a black ship is painted on a yellow background, symbolizing the port city. Under it, the name of the city - Port Moresby - is displayed in black letters.

Local residents not only honor their city, but also try to develop it in every possible way, so service and tourist recreation are well developed on the island.

Population- 6.1 million (July 2010 estimate)

population growth- 2.0% (fertility - 3.5 births per woman)

Density– 13 people/km²

fertility– 27 per 1000 people

Mortality– 6.6 per 1000 people

infant mortality- 44.6 per 1000 babies

Life expectancy of men- 63.8 years

Women's life expectancy- 68.3 years

Infection with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- 1.5% (2007 estimate)

Literacy- 63% of men, 51% of women (according to the 2000 census)

Percentage of urban population — 12 %

Proportion of population over 65 years old — 3,5 %

Percentage of population under 15 — 36,9 %

Ethno-racial composition - Melanesians, Papuans, Negrito, Micronesians, Polynesians.

Languages ​​- official: Tok Pisin (the most common), English (knows 1%), Hiri Motu (knows 2%). Over 800 indigenous languages.

Religions - Roman Catholic 27%, Lutheran 19.5%, One Church 11.5%, Adventist 10%, Pentecostal 8.6%, Evangelical 5.2%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.5%, other Protestant 8 .9%, Baha'is 0.3%, Aboriginal and other faiths 3.3% (according to the 2000 census).

In Papua New Guinea, the majority of the population still lives in villages and engages in subsistence farming, while markets are beginning to take shape. Some of the agricultural products are produced for sale. The number of people employed in the mining and manufacturing industries and in the service sector is growing. The slash-and-burn system of agriculture dominates, focused on the cultivation of tropical starch plants, primarily tubers. New areas are cleared and cultivated every year, and the land set aside for fallow after harvesting is again overgrown with shrubs. In mountainous areas, the main crop is sweet potato. Yams, bananas, taro, coconut palms and a variety of vegetables and fruits are also grown in the lowlands. To prepare land for farming, the men cut and burn trees and shrubs during the dry season, while the women are responsible for sowing, weeding and harvesting. Mixed crops are practiced when several different crops are grown on the same plot. In mountainous areas, slope terracing is carried out to regulate surface runoff, reduce soil erosion on steep slopes, and extend the growing season. Many tribes, engaged in field work, perform rituals in the hope of a rich harvest. Plots are usually fenced off from pigs. These animals are looked after by women and children, although the status of a man in society is determined precisely by the number of pigs he owns.

Pork is eaten exclusively on holidays. It is customary to allocate land plots to members of the community for only one growing season, and after harvesting, return them to the property of the clan or clan. This traditional land use system does not fit the cultivation of such perennial tree and shrub crops as chocolate and coffee trees, coconut and oil palms, tea, which grow in one place for 20-50 years. After the Second World War, the Australian authorities stimulated the development of commodity production in the countryside, which in many areas was combined with the traditional farming system. As a result, small farms outperform plantation farms, which were leaders in the colonial period, in terms of production. At present, coconut palms are grown in the coastal lowlands of New Guinea and other islands, from the nuts of which copra is obtained, and in the north of New Guinea and on a larger scale in New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville, the chocolate tree.

In 1997, palm oil from New Britain ranked second in terms of value (after coffee) in agricultural exports. Coffee, the main commodity in the highlands, was introduced to the culture and became widespread in the 1950s. Another important commodity is exported from the mountainous regions - tea. All market trees and shrubs are grown both on small farms and on plantations, originally created with foreign investment, but gradually being taken over by local cooperative associations. The production of cocoa, coffee, tea and palm oil requires machinery that is usually available only to large plantation-type enterprises. The cultivation of pyrethrum at altitudes above 1,800 m, the production of fruits and vegetables for city bazaars, and animal husbandry are of secondary commercial importance. A special place is occupied by the culture of betel, which has a stimulating effect on humans and is highly valued in local markets. The country has exceptionally rich mineral resources, which led to the development of the mining industry, which in 1996 provided 27% of GDP, i.e. about the same as agriculture, forestry and fisheries combined. Large-scale mining of copper and gold began in Pangun on Bougainville Island in 1972.

Ore reserves were estimated at 800 million tons, with a copper content of 0.46% and gold - 15.83 g per 1 ton. Production was carried out by the Bougainville Copper company, owned by the Konzinc Riotinto international monopoly. The huge Ok-Tedi copper deposit in the northwestern part of the mountainous New Guinea is estimated at 250 million tons (in 1 ton of copper ore 0.852% and gold 0.653 g). In the late 1980s, gold mining began at Porgera near Ok Tedi, on Misima Island off the southeast coast of New Guinea, and on Lihir Island off the coast of New Ireland. According to experts, Papua New Guinea can become the world's largest supplier of gold (displacing South Africa). Porgera is already in the top ten producing gold deposits in the world. Any disruption to the mining industry has a profound effect on the entire economy of Papua New Guinea. Due to the closure of the mine in Bougainville in 1989, an armed conflict broke out between local separatists and the central government, which could not come to terms with the loss of an important source of income. In 1997, due to a severe drought, the surface runoff in the Fly River basin, through which the products of the Ok-Tedi and Porgera deposits are transported, sharply decreased. Oil and natural gas reserves have been discovered in Papua New Guinea.

The first project for a gas pipeline to Australia has been proposed and other projects are likely to follow. About 60% of the energy used in the country comes from charcoal, 35% from imported petroleum products, and only 5% from hydropower. In recent years, foreign companies, mainly Asian ones, have been engaged in logging. In 1994, when world timber prices soared, timber products accounted for 19% of Papua New Guinea's exports. They are almost entirely destined for the Japanese and South Korean markets, and therefore the economic crisis that swept Asian countries in the second half of the 1990s led to a noticeable decrease in the income received by Papua New Guinea from this industry. The beauty of the nature of Papua New Guinea and the originality of the cultures of the peoples inhabiting it should also be considered as a potential resource for the development of foreign tourism. Undoubtedly, this country is more promising for the development of tourism than the Cook Islands or Samoa.