Geography of Papua New Guinea
Where is the country of Papua New Guinea located on world map? According to COUNTRYAAH.COM, Papua New Guinea is an independent nation located in Melanesia. The independence day of Papua New Guinea is celebrated on September 16th, and is known as ‘Independence Day’. This marks the day in 1975 when Papua New Guinea declared its independence from Australia. The formal name of the country is ‘Independent State of Papua New Guinea’, and the symbols associated with it are the Flag, Coat of Arms, and National Anthem. The Flag of Papua New Guinea consists of a red background with a yellow triangle in the centre. Inside this triangle are five white stars representing the Southern Cross constellation. The Coat of Arms displays a shield featuring two kangaroos supporting an upright bird-of-paradise, flanked by two traditional warriors holding spears and shields. Finally, the national anthem is called ‘O Arise All You Sons’, which translates to ‘Yumi Lolo’. See historyaah for Papua New Guinea history.
Papua New Guinea encompasses the eastern half of New Guinea. The island is approx. 785 000 km 2 and separated from Australia by the Torres Strait and Lake Arafura.
Islands and atolls
To the north and northeast of New Guinea lies the Bismarck Archipelago with, among others, the islands of Manus, New Ireland, New Britai n, and the smaller neighboring archipelagos (including the Schouten Islands, Manam, Karkar, Bagabag, Western Islands and others). These islands are part of the so-called Pacific Aging and are mainly volcanic, part with active volcanoes (including Manam and several in New Britain). In the east/southeast are a number of smaller archipelagos, mainly consisting of atolls. This area is called Massim and among the archipelagos here are the Trobriander Islands (also known as the Kiriwina Islands). Papua New Guinea also includes the northernmost of the Solomon Islands.
The largest islands are New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville. These islands are almost as mountainous as New Guinea, with many mountain peaks over 2000 meters above sea level. The highest mountain in the country is Mount Wilhelm, 4509 meters above sea level.
Gold and copper are extracted on the island of Bougainville, among others. There is also a copper bed in the Star Mountains.
- AbbreviationFinder: Offer a full list of commonly used abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms related to the state of Papua New Guinea.
Wildlife in New Guinea
Animal geography belongs to New Guinea in the Australian region and has many similarities to Australia’s fauna. Sewage animals are represented by Australian echidnas and significantly larger langsnutet echidnas. The 55 marsupial species belong to the families of predators, marsupials, climbing marsupials and kangaroos. The mammalian fauna also includes 70 bat species and more than 50 rodent species, while sambar deer are imported from Indonesia. Dugong and some small toothed whales occur in coastal waters.
600 bird species nest on the island and as many as 330 are endemic. In addition, 150 species act as migratory or migratory guests from Asia and Australia. Characteristic families, which are also endemic to the region, are: cashiers, furnace chickens, gardeners (deciduous birds), paradise birds and crows. Pigeons, parrots, cuckoos, icebergs and honey eaters are especially richly represented.
There are many reptile species: Delta and New Guinea crocodiles, turtles, geckos, hams, agams and varieties. Among the snake snakes are both buoys and pythons. The dreaded Taipan is an example of the many poison snakes. The fauna of invertebrates are diverse, including onychophora, leeches and large butterflies (bird wings, Coscinocera Hercules).
Geography and environment
The island of New Guinea together with Australia is part of the Sahul landmass. During the Pleistocene era, the sea level was lower, and the two land masses were connected as a continent before being separated by the Torres Strait about 10,000 years ago as the sea level rose. The eastern part of the island of New Guinea is the largest part of Papua New Guinea’s land area.
The border with the Indonesian part of the island follows the 141st longitude, except for a stretch of about 80 km where it follows the Fly River in a turn west. Around 75 percent of the country is covered by rainforest, and a mountain range extends through the country with Mount Wilhelm at 4509 meters above sea level as the highest peak. In the higher-lying regions is the region of Highlands, where the most densely populated areas of the country are.
Several large rivers form extensive deltas in the lowland areas along the coast, of which 1050 kilometers in length and 1126 kilometers in Sepik are the most important.
North and northeast of New Guinea lies the Bismarck Archipelago. In the east/southeast are a number of smaller archipelagos, mainly consisting of atolls. Papua New Guinea also includes the northernmost of the Solomon Islands, with Bougainville being the largest.
91 percent of the rainforest that covers most of Papua New Guinea’s mainland is primary forest and home to a unique plant and animal life. The island of New Guinea represents only 0.5 percent of the world’s land area, but has 5-10 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. The species is more closely related to the Australian than the Asian. There are 1571 known species of amphibians, mammals, reptiles and birds. Of these, 25.6 percent are endemic and 7 percent are endangered. Every year new species of vertebrates, insects and plants are discovered. Known mammals include tree gurus and other tree climbing marsupials. The bird of paradise is a widely used symbol in the country, both in flags, national weapons and in the national airline’s logo. The world’s largest butterfly (Ornithoptera alexandrae, Queen Alexandra’s bird wing) has its habitat in Oro Province, but it is threatened by timber logs and palm oil plantations. In the coastal and marine areas there are unique coral reefs and a great variety of fish and other marine animals.
