Geography

New Guinea has an area of 304,980 square miles (790,104 square kilometers), making it the second largest island in the world, behind Greenland. A mountain system crosses the island from east to west that includes the Owen-Stanley Mountains in the east and 16,503-foot (5,030-meter) Puncak Jaya, the highest point on the island, in the west. Mountain ridges, grassy plateaus, and deep, forested valleys cover much of the interior. Grasslands and jungles lie along the northern and southern edges of the island. Swamps with mangrove thickets border New Guinea in some areas.

The island is criss-crossed by numerous streams and rivers. The largest rivers, the Fly and Sepik, have large, swampy deltas near their mouths.

The coastal lowlands have a hot, humid climate. The temperature and humidity drop as the altitude increases toward the center of the island. The annual rainfall in parts of New Guinea averages more than 200 inches (510 centimeters).

Native animals of New Guinea include crocodiles, tree kangaroos, and such snakes as the death adder, the Papuan black, and the taipan. The island also has many bright-colored birds and butterflies.

Political Units

Irian Jaya, formerly called West Irian, covers the western half of New Guinea (west of the 141st meridian). It is one of the provinces of Indonesia. Jayapura, a city on the northern coast, serves as the capital of the province.

Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of New Guinea. Formerly a territory of Australia, it became an independent nation in 1975. Port Moresby, a city on the southeast coast, serves as the nation's capital.

History

The earliest settlers in New Guinea probably migrated thousands of years age from the Asian mainland by way of the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia.

In 1526, Portuguese explorer Orge de Meneses became the first European to visit New Guinea. Dutch, English, French, and Spanish explorers and traders stopped there regularly over the next 300 years.

The Netherlands claimed western New Guinea in 1828. In 1884, Germany gained the northeastern part of the island, and Great Britain took the southeastern part. Britain gave its territory to Australia in 1906. After Germany's defeat in World War I, the League of Nations made northeastern New Guinea a mandated territory under Australian rule.

The Japanese seized northern New Guinea in 1942, during World War II, but by 1944 the Allies had reconquered the area. After the war, the northeastern part became the United Nations Trust Territory of New Guinea under Australian administration. Australia put the northeastern and southeastern units (now Papua New Guinea) under one government in 1949.

Indonesia gained independence from The Netherlands in 1949 and claimed western New Guinea. In 1962, The Netherlands agreed to turn over western Guinea to the United Nations. The UN placed the area under Indonesian administration in 1963, and Indonesia renamed it West Irian. In 1969, West Irian voted to remain part of Indonesia.

Australia granted Papua New Guinea total self-government over its internal affairs in 1973, and complete independence in 1975.

SEE ALSO
Greenland
Indonesia
Papua New Guinea
Germany
Great Britain
Australia
World War I
World War II
The Netherlands

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This page was last updated on 06/02/2017.