PAPAUA NEW GUINEA

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Central
Chimbu (Simbu)
Eastern Highlands
East New Britain
East Sepik
Enga
Gulf
Madang
Manus
Milne Bay
Morobe
New Ireland
Northern (Oro Province)
Bougainville North Solomons
Southern Highlands
Western Province (Fly)
Western Highlands
West New Britain
West Sepik (Sandaun)
National Capital District

Capital Port Moresby 9°30′S 147°07′E
Largest city Port Moresby Official language(s) English, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu
Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Elizabeth II - Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane - Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare

Independence From Australia - Self-governing December 1, 1973 - Independence September 16, 1975
Area - Total 462,840 km² (54th) (178,703 sq mi) - Water (%) 2 Population - July 2005 est. 5,887,000 (104th) - Density 13/km² (201st)(34/sq mi) GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate - Total $14.363 billion (126th) - Per capita $2,418 (131st) HDI (2003) 0.523 (137th) – medium Currency Kina (PGK) Time zone AEST (UTC+10) - Summer (DST) not observed (as of 2005) (UTC+10) Internet TLD .pg Calling code +675

Papua New Guinea or PNG, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands (the western portion of the island is occupied by the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Irian Jaya). It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia. Its capital, and one of its few major cities, is Port Moresby.

It is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies, out of a population of just over 5 million. It is also one of the most rural, with only 18 per cent of its people living in urban centres.

The country is also one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in Papua New Guinea.

The majority of the population live in traditional societies and practise subsistence-based agriculture. These societies and clans have some explicit acknowledgement within the nation's constitutional framework.

The PNG Constitution (Preamble 5(4)) expresses the wish for traditional villages and communities to remain as viable units of Papua New Guinean society, and for active steps to be taken in their preservation. The PNG legislature has enacted various laws in which a type of tenure called "customary land title" is recognised, meaning that the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples have some legal basis to inalienable tenure. This customary land notionally covers most of the usable land in the country (some 97% of total land area); alienated land is either held privately under State Lease or is government land. There is no freehold (also known as fee simple) in Papua New Guinea.