TM Independent State of

CultureGrams
Kids Edition 2017 Papua New Guinea
Papuaniugini

The worlds largest species of butterfly, the Queen Alexandra Birdwing, is found in Papua New Guinea. Its
wingspan can be as long as a foot (30 centimeters) across.
A popular activity for scuba divers in Papua New Guinea is exploring sunken ships from World War II.
Papua New Guineas famous Baining fire dancers walk through flames to bring good spirits, to calm bad spirits,
and to prove that spirits have helped them become immune to fire.
Species of the only two types of egg-laying mammalsthe echidna and the platypuslive in Papua New Guinea.
Papua is a Malay word that the first explorers used to describe the coarse hair of the native Papua New
Guineans.
In tribal ceremonies, Papua New Guineans sometimes play the kundu (a hollow drum covered with lizard skin).
Members of the Huli tribe believe that mens hair symbolizes health and strength. Teenage boys make large wigs
from their own hair to show the rest of the tribe that they are now grown up.
New Guineas pitohuis was one of the first poisonous birds to be discovered. The birds skin carries a poison
similar to that of poison dart frogs. Scientists believe the birds use the poison to protect themselves from
predators and parasites.
Some of the earliest cultivation of bananas and sugar cane took place in what is now Papua New Guinea.

Flag
The five stars in the black triangle represent the Southern Cross constellation, a group
of stars that is only visible in the skies of the Southern Hemisphere. It represents Papua
New Guineas history with the other South Pacific nations. In the red triangle is a bird of
paradise.

National Image
The kumul, bird of paradise, is Papua New Guineas national bird. The males have
beautiful multicolored feathers, which native Papua New Guineans often use to
decorate their headdresses. The bird of paradise appears on the nations flag to
symbolize Papua New Guineas independence from other countries.

Land and Climate

Area (sq. mi.)

178,703
Area (sq. km.)
462,840

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Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, the worlds second
largest island. It also includes over six hundred islands, which make up about 10
percent of the countrys land. The nation is about the size of Sweden or the state of
California. Papua New Guinea has rain forests, rivers, waterfalls, palm trees, coral
reefs, and beaches. Much of the coast is covered in mangroves (trees that grow in the
shallow ocean water) and swamps. The rest of the country is mostly tropical rain
forests. These forests are thick and difficult to travel through. Steep mountains and
deep valleys make it even harder for people to travel in some parts of the country.

Papua New Guineas forests are threatened by logging and slash-and-burn farming
(clearing land by cutting down trees and plants and then burning them to make fields for
crops). As forests are destroyed, so are habitats (places for plants and animals to grow
and live). Recent droughts (dry periods), forest fires, and floods have also affected the
environment. Some of Papua New Guineas islands have volcanoes that cause
earthquakes, which then bring tsunamis (giant, destructive waves) and erosion
(wearing away soil).

The climate in Papua New Guinea varies a lot depending on the area and elevation, but
most of the country is tropical, with high temperatures and lots of rain. In the lowlands,
the average temperature is about 80F (27C). In the highlands, the temperature
averages between 65 and 70F (1821C). Some of Papua New Guineas islands get
even hotter weather.

Population

Population
6,791,317

Most Papua New Guineans live in rural(countryside) areas, outside of the larger cities
and towns. Nearly all people are of Melanesian descent, from the islands in the Pacific
Ocean northeast of Australia, including Papua New Guinea. Although most Papua New
Guineans have the same ancestors, there are hundreds of different tribes within the
country. Each tribe has its own culture, beliefs, and language, and many have fought off
and on with each other for thousands of years. Those Papua New Guineans who are
not Melanesian are of Polynesian, Micronesian, Chinese, and European descent.

Language
There are about 830 different languages spoken in Papua New Guinea. For centuries,
most tribes were cut off from one another because it was so hard to travel through the
countrys steep mountains and thick forests, so each tribe developed its own local
language. Some languages are related to each other, but many are as different from
each other as Mandarin Chinese is from Arabic. Some of these languages are dying out
now, but linguists(people who study languages) from around the world still come to
study the fascinating languages of Papua New Guinea.

Tok Pisin, English, and Motu are the nations official languages. Tok Pisin is a kind of
language called a pidgin. A pidgin language is a way for people who speak different
languages to communicate with one another. Tok Pisin is the most common language
spoken in Papua New Guinea. Colonists and native peoples formed Tok Pisin as a way
to communicate without learning each others entire languages. It contains words in
English, German, Malay, and local languages. Some of the words in Tok Pisin would
probably sound familiar to you, like the word for photo, which is piksa. Most people

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use local languages for everyday conversation but also speak Tok Pisin. Motu is the
most common native language. In areas that are far from cities and hard to get to,
many people know only their local language.

Can You Say It in Tok Pisin?

Hello Halo (HA-low)
Good-bye Lukimyu (Look-im-yoo)
Please Plis (plees)
Thank you Tenkiu (TENK-yoo)
Yes Yes (yes)
No Nogat (noh-GAHT)

Religion

Source: The World Factbook 2017. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2017.
The majority of Papua New Guineans are Christians. In the last century, foreign missionaries have traveled to the
country, and many Papua New Guineans have become Christian. However, their native beliefs have often not been
completely replaced by Christianity. Strong beliefs in witchcraft, puri puri (black magic), ancestor worship, and animism
(a belief that spirits live inside both objects and living things) often become mixed with Christianity. For example, a
village may have church on Sunday but then hold traditional religious ceremonies on other days of the week. Many
weddings and funerals include traditional customs but also take place in a church. People living in areas that are
isolated often follow only native religions.

Time Line
7000 BC
7000 BC Native peoples first begin planting crops on the island of New Guinea

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3000 People from Southeast Asia arrive, introducing villages, livestock, and
farming methods

AD 1500
AD 1526 The first Europeans, led by Jorge de Meneses of Portugal, visit
1545 The main island is named New Guinea by Spanish explorer Inigo Ortiz
de Retes because he believes that the islanders resemble the people
of Guinea in Africa
1700
1793 British lieutenant John Hayes is the first European to try colonizing the
island, but the settlement only lasts about a year
1800
1828 The southwestern part of the island (which is now part of Indonesia)
becomes part of the Dutch East Indies colonies, but the settlers leave
seven years later after a malaria outbreak
1884 Southeastern New Guinea becomes a British protectorate (called
British New Guinea), while the northeastern part of the island becomes
a German colony (called German New Guinea)
1898 The Dutch set up their first permanent colonies, on the western half of
the island
1900
1906 British New Guinea is controlled by Australia and named the Territory
of Papua
1914 World War I breaks out; German New Guinea is occupied by Australian
forces
1921 After World War I, the League of Nations puts Australia in charge of
German New Guinea; even though Australia controls two territories on
the island, each is governed independently
1926 A gold rush begins after gold is found in the highlands
1930 Explorers looking for gold enter the highlands of New Guinea and find
tribes that have been totally cut off from the rest of the world living the
same way their ancestors have since the Stone Age
1942 Japan occupies parts of the island while fighting in World War II

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1945 Australian and American troops force the last of the Japanese army to
leave

1949 Australia combines its territories on the island and calls it the Territory
of Papua and New Guinea
1951 Australia establishes the Legislative Council to prepare Papua New
Guinea for self-governance
1961 Native Papua New Guineans vote in an election for the first time
1963 West New Guinea becomes part of Indonesia
1971 The Territory of Papua and New Guinea is renamed Papua New
Guinea
1975 Papua New Guinea gains independence from Australia; two areas,
Bougainville and Papua, attempt to form their own nations but are
unsuccessful
1977 Papua New Guineas first elections are held
1989 Rebels in Bougainville restart the fight to become independent from the
rest of the country
1994 About 35,000 people are forced to leave their homes when twin
volcanoes erupt

1998 Three thousand people are killed and villages are destroyed when
tsunamis (powerful waves after an earthquake) hit the coast

2000
2000 Thousands of people living on the Duke of York islands are told to
leave because global warming is causing the islands to sink as much
as one foot (30 centimeters) per year
2001 The United Nations helps the rebels in Bougainville and the
government of Papua New Guinea come to a peace agreement that
will give Bougainville more independence

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2004 Australia sends police to help control Papua New Guineas crime rate

2005 The Papua New Guinean Supreme Court decides that Australias
sending police officers is unconstitutional; the police officers leave the
island
2007 Flooding from Cyclone Guba kills dozens and causes substantial
damage in eastern Papua New Guinea
2013 Papua New Guinea agrees to provide offshore processing for refugees
(people forced to leave their homes by war) who reach Australia by
boat; in return, Australia promises to grant Papua New Guinea
generous aid
2016 The government says it will close the Australian detention center on
Manus Island after the Supreme Court rules that the facility violated the
constitution
PRESENT

Early Civilization
The first people to live in what is now Papua New Guinea lived there tens of thousands of years ago and were
hunter-gatherers, people who traveled from place to place hunting animals and gathering wild plants to eat. Over time,
they began farming and growing gardens. About five thousand years ago, another group of people came from
Southeast Asia. They lived in villages with the native Papua New Guineans, raising animals and growing crops. Tribes
sometimes fought short battles over land, but the fighting never lasted long because each tribe had to get back to
farming or they would have nothing to eat. The early Papua New Guineans couldnt store crops for long periods of time
because of the wet, warm climate, so they farmed year-round. They were able to grow many crops in the islands fertile
soil, and they developed advanced farming methods and tools, including irrigation systems, making them some of the
earliest in the world.

Europeans discovered the island in 1526. But because it was far from where most ships sailed and it didnt seem to
have spices or other valuable resources, it was mostly ignored until 1793, when the first European colonies were
established there.

Colonization
The area that is now Papua New Guinea was divided between different European
countries. Germany, Britain, and the Netherlands all claimed parts of the island.
Germany and Britain claimed the eastern part of the island, while the Netherlands
claimed the western part, which eventually became part of Indonesia.

The explorers landed and settled on the coast of New Guinea. Most of the center would
not be explored until decades later. Even today, some parts of Papua New Guineas
interior have not been mapped. The early colonists couldnt venture very far into the
thick jungle because they would run out of food and supplies too quickly and have to go
back, so they mostly stayed near the coasts. There were entire tribes living in the
mountain jungles who didnt even know that Europeans had landed on the island. In
fact, many of these tribes had never been more than a few miles from their villages
because of the thick forest and steep mountains. Some of these tribes believed that
they were the only humans on the planet. It wasnt until Europeans found new ways to
travel farther into the jungle that the tribes began to be affected by the rest of the world.

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When explorers managed to explore more of the countrys forests, they found the spice
nutmeg and valuable types of wood. The colonists established cities and took
advantage of the natural resources. In 1906, Australia (one of Britains former colonies)
was put in charge of British New Guinea, which was then called Papua. In 1921,
German New Guinea was turned over to the League of Nations according to the Treaty
of Versailles, which forced Germany to pay back countries that it had fought in World
War I. The League of Nations put Australia in charge of German New Guinea. At that
point, Australia controlled most of what is now Papua New Guinea, but the two parts
(Papua and what had been German New Guinea) were ruled separately.

War and Independence

By 1942, World War II was raging. Japan invaded Papua New Guinea and set up
military bases. The United States and Australia, Japans enemies in the war, slowly
drove the Japanese off the island, but it wasnt until 1945 that the last Japanese troops
left. During the war, the Papua New Guineans were not aware of events in the rest of
the world, but they were caught up in the fighting when it reached their islands. Some
villages were bombed from the air, the tribes couldnt fish in parts of the ocean, and
food was scarce because of the armies who came there to fight. Thousands of Papua
New Guineans became guides, workers, and carriers for the armies.

After the war ended, Papua New Guineans began to push for independence. In 1951,
Australia established the Legislative Council to prepare Papua New Guinea for
self-governance. In 1975, the country officially became independent of Australia. The
new government was based in Port Moresby, far from where most of the population
lived, a problem that continues today. Many Papua New Guineans felt little connection
to the new constitution and laws. They worried that the government would not
understand their way of life and would try to change it. Setting up a government was
especially hard because there were so many different groups of people, each with their
own beliefs and language.

Soon after independence, two areas (Bougainville and Papua) rebelled against the new
government and tried to form their own countries. They were both unsuccessful, but
Bougainville began another rebellion in 1989 that wasnt settled until 2001, when the
United Nations helped the rebels and the government form a peace agreement.

Papua New Guinea Today

Today Papua New Guineans are working to become a united country. Some tribes are
still mostly cut off from the rest of the world, while others are becoming more modern.
Papua New Guinea still depends on help from other countries, but the economy is
slowly growing. The country has valuable natural resources (such as timber and
minerals), but in the past they were very hard to get to and make use of. With better
technology and planning, people are able to reach these resources to take advantage
of them. While Papua New Guineans work to improve their country, they face
challenges like corruption (leaders using their power selfishly) in the government, high
crime rates, and unemployment. They also need more schools, hospitals, technology,
and usable roads.

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Games and Sports

Before colonists came to the island, Papua New Guineans participated in competitions
that were related to skills they would need to survive. Boys played games that would
help them be better hunters or warriors when they grew up, and men competed to show
who was the fastest or strongest. Foreigners brought organized sports to Papua New
Guinea. Now many Papua New Guineans enjoy both playing and watching sports.
Rugby is the most popular sport, but people also play softball, basketball, volleyball,
soccer (which kids learn in school), and netball (a game similar to basketball). Boys and
men still hunt birds and other animals with shotguns, slingshots, spears, and bows and
arrows. People hunt for sport but also as a way to provide food.

Holidays
Sing-sings (ceremonies with traditional dancing and singing) are an important part of
most celebrations in Papua New Guinea. They take place at feasts, when a family pays
a bride-price (the money paid to a brides family when she marries and leaves home),
at traditional ceremonies, and at other gatherings. Before a sing-sing, people paint their
faces and bodies and put on traditional costumes. They perform dances that tell
traditional stories. Each costume represents a character in the story. Before the
sing-sing, some people prepare by fasting or eating only traditional foods, talking only
with specific people, and not leaving the village.

Papua New Guineans celebrate their nations independence and heritage on 16

September. Different celebrations are held throughout the country. The most famous
one is Hiri Morale, which celebrates the ancient journeys people made from the Port
Moresby area to other parts of the country to trade. This trade was important because
each area produced things that the others needed, and men would often look for wives
among the tribes living in different areas. Even though the last of these journeys was in
the 1940s, this holiday celebrates an important part of Papua New Guineas history.
Today it is celebrated with canoe races, sing-sings, parades, and music.

Food

Since Papua New Guinea has a tropical climate and fertile soil, people grow many different kinds of fruits and
vegetables. The most common foods in Papua New Guinea are kaukau (sweet potato), saksak (made from the sago
palm tree), and taro (a leafy plant whose stems can also be eaten). Throughout the country, families raise pigs for
feasts. People also eat small animals, wild pigs, birds, and eggs. Near the ocean, people also eat seafood and
coconuts. In the countryside, some people eat bats, eels, and tree kangaroos. Residents of Port Moresby and other
urban(city) areas have access to store-bought items like rice and canned meats, but not everyone can afford them.

Most families cook their food in a pot over a fire. When cooking for a large group, Papua New Guineans often steam
food in a mumu (an oven in the ground). To do this, stones are heated in a fire and then placed in a pit. Meat and
vegetables are wrapped in leaves and then placed on the stones. The pit is covered with leaves and branches to keep
the heat in while the food cooks. Some mumus can be big enough to cook hundreds of pigs.

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Schools

Adult Literacy
64%

Although Papua New Guinea is working to improve its education system, most kids still
dont finish school. Only about 10 percent of students continue past eighth grade.
Public school in Papua New Guinea is not free, so many families cannot afford it.
Families who cannot afford to send all of their kids to school usually choose to send
their sons because their daughters are needed to help out at home with chores and
younger siblings. So the higher the level of education, the fewer girls there are enrolled.
This is slowly changing though, and there are more girls enrolled now than there used
to be.

Kids start school at age seven. They study subjects like English, math, science, and
history. At 12, they begin high school at a provincial school. Most provincial schools are
located in cities, so kids from the countryside usually move to a city and attend a
boarding school. Those who finish may attend one of the two colleges in Papua New
Guinea.

Life as a Kid
Life is very different for kids who live in cities and kids who live in the countryside. Rural
(countryside) Papua New Guinean villages can be very isolated. It may take three to
four days to walk to the nearest road, beach, or airstrip. In these villages, kids live in
houses with bamboo or woven walls and thatched roofs made of grass or leaves. They
usually dont have electricity or running water. Kids help their families grow crops and
raise animals to eat, since there are no grocery stores where they can buy food.

Kids like to play soccer and rugby. They may not have many toys, so they find ways to
make their own fun. Kids who live in the cities have access to most things that you do:
schools, stores, hospitals, and electricity. Urban(city) kids enjoy playing sports too.
They especially like soccer, volleyball, and rugby. Some urban kids play on sports
teams. Others play with their friends in any open space they can find.

Government

Capital
Port Moresby
Head of State
Queen Elizabeth II (U.K.)
Head of Government
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill

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Papua New Guinea is part of the British Commonwealth, an organization made up of
countries that were once colonies or territories of Britain. Queen Elizabeth II of Britain is
the countrys queen, but her position is only ceremonial. She does not actually lead the
country. The prime minister is in charge of the government and is chosen by the
political party with the most members elected to Parliament (the branch of government
that makes Papua New Guineas laws). There are 111 members of Parliament, and
each is elected by the people. The country is divided into 20 provinces (similar to
states), and each has a governor. Each village has a main leader called a bikman (big
man). Villages elect council and committee members to settle minor disagreements.
The voting age is 18.

Money and Economy

Currency
Kina

Most Papua New Guineans are subsistence farmers. They grow crops and raise
animals, but only enough to barely support their families. Many may also grow crops
that they can sell or trade. Land in Papua New Guinea is owned by tribes, not
individuals or the government, so even the poorest citizens have land through their
tribe. The most important crops are copra (a product made from coconuts), coffee, palm
oil, cocoa, tea, and vanilla. Papua New Guinea is also rich in oil, gas, and minerals (like
gold, copper, cobalt, and nickel). Because prices are high for the country's exports,
Papua New Guinea's economy is growing, although the economy is still hurt by
corruption (leaders using their power selfishly) in its government and disorganization in
the entire country.

Getting Around
Because of Papua New Guineas steep mountains and thick forests, it is hard to get from place to place. The countrys
main highway is used the most. Other roads in the country can be hard to drive on, and many are not paved. In some
cases it is easier to use a plane or boat instead of a car. In the countryside, people usually walk along roads or paths to
get where they need to go. People who live near rivers or beaches often use dugout canoes to get around.

Rain Forests
Most of Papua New Guinea is covered in tropical rain forests. Trees in these forests
can be as tall as 150 feet (46 meters). In some areas, the trees are so thick that they
block out the sunlight and very few plants are able to grow below them. In other areas,
shrubs, mosses, vines, and other plants grow on the forest floor. All of this vegetation
becomes woven together, making it almost impossible for people to clear a path
through.

These rain forests are home to thousands of species of plants, animals, and insects.
There are more species of birds (over seven hundred) in Papua New Guinea than in all
of Europe. The cassowary is one of the biggest birds, standing about 3 feet (1 meter)
tall. It looks a lot like a turkey, but it has a colorful neck and sharp talons that Papua
New Guineans sometimes use for decoration and tools. There are also many insects in

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Papua New Guinea. Some are harmless, like butterflies and beetles. Others can be
deadly, like the many poisonous spiders and the malaria-carrying mosquito.

Unfortunately, many of Papua New Guineas rain forests are in danger of being lost
forever. They are threatened by farming, mining, logging, drought, fires, and pollution.
Some of the species found in the rain forest are already endangered, and many people
worry that as their habitat is destroyed they will become extinct. Papua New Guineans
face the challenge of developing their country while at the same time protecting their
environment.

Learn More
Contact the Embassy of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805,
Washington, DC 20036; phone (202) 745-3680; web site www.pngembassy.org. Or contact the Papua New Guinea
Tourism Promotion Authority, phone (310) 545-4200; web site www.papuanewguinea.travel.

TM

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