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| | Need to Know | Capital City Port Moresby | | Tipping Tipping is not expected. | | Electricity 240 volts AC, 50Hz. Some hotels do provide their guests the option of 110- volt outlets. Australian-style 3-pin plugs are most commonly used. | | Weights and Measurements Metric system |
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Sneak Preview
If you're looking for the exotic - go no further, your search terminates right here in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is a country made up of a staggering 600 islands landscaped with waterfalls, volcanoes, mountain ranges, mangrove swamps and some of the most fascinating flora and fauna in the world.
Two thirds of all orchid species in the world are found in Papua New Guinea and 450 butterflies flit their little wings over the islands. Head to the Highlands to experience the diverse tribal culture, for reliving history visit Milne Bay Province and the adventurous will find the Kokoda Trail a huge adrenaline rush trekking through the lush forest with its variety of flora and fauna. Papua New Guinea is a reveals it’s many different faces in the most charming way!
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Historically Speaking
People of Asian origin originally inhabited Papua New Guinea more than 50,000 years ago before the legendary Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes 'discovered' the islands in 1526-27. He named one of them, Ilhas dos Papuas, the Island of the Frizzy Haired People!
The island got its present name from the Spanish explorer Inigo Ortiz de Retes who called it New Guinea because he found the natives similar to those of Guinea in Africa. The usual course of colonization followed and PNG was formed in 1949 by combining the two territories of New Guinea, a former German colony and the island of Papua, under Australian rule from 1906-1949.
Full independence came in 1975 with Michael Somare taking over as Prime Minister. The island of Bougainville declared independence in 1990 and has since then been a centre for rebellion against successive governments. The site of the world's largest copper mines and source of one third of PNG foreign earnings income, this place has been ravaged by environmental problems and persistent poverty. An agreement was signed in 1998 between government and rebel forces after years of violent struggle.
The main problems facing PNG are not merely humanitarian and financial but also political in nature, as well as the continuous string of natural disasters that have plagued the country over the years.
Politicians have mismanaged relief aid, adding to the people’s woes. Many politicians have been given the boot, thanks to poor management of relief during the course of a natural disaster; the latest victim being Bill Skate who was replaced as Prime Minister by Mekere Morauta of the Peoples Democratic Movement.
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Habitat
Papua New Guinea lies in the south east of Asia between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia. It consists of a mainland – one half of the Indonesian island of Irian Jaya and a motley collection of islands of different shapes and sizes. More than 400 islands of volcanic or coral origin make up the islands of New Ireland, New Britain, Bougainville and Admiralty that together form the Bismarck Archipelago. These along with the islands of the Louisiade Archipelago complete the rest of the country.
The main island is the eastern part of Irian Jaya (erstwhile Dutch New Guinea) is split right through the middle by the great mountain range of the Central Highlands. Peaks reach up to 15,000 feet and plunge into massive gorges, fast flowing streams descend from the mighty peaks forming rivers that reach the central plains.The local flora consists of tropical rain forests, coastal swamps, savannah grassland in the low lying areas and other types of grassland in the highlands.
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Travel Tools
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