Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 19,000 people (2000), above sea level. It has an airport (in the centre of town) and is on the "

Highlands Highway The Highlands Highway, sometimes known as the Okuk Highway, is the main land highway in Papua New Guinea. It connects several major cities and is vital for the movement of people and goods between the populous Highlands region and the coast. F ...

", about 285 km from

Lae Lae () is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River and at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highl ...

in Morobe province and 90 km from the nearby town of

Kainantu Kainantu is a town in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. It had some historical significance as an airstrip town during WWII. It functions primarily as a market town for local produce growers and cash croppers. It is located on the " Hig ...

also in the Eastern Highlands. Other nearby towns include Kundiawa in Simbu Province and Mount Hagen in Western Highlands Province. It has a mild climate, known as a "perpetual Spring". It is the home of several national institutions: CRMF Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship, the

PNG Institute of Medical Research The Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (PNG IMR) is the principal institution conducting health research in Papua New Guinea with a focus on health problems affecting the country's population. History The Papua New Guinea Institute o ...

, the National Film Institute, th
Liturgical Catechetical Institute
the

Melanesian Institute Melanesian is the adjectival form of Melanesia. It may refer to: * Melanesians * Melanesian mythology * Melanesian languages See also

* {{disambiguation Language and nationality disambiguation pages ...

, the Raun Raun Theatre Company and the

University of Goroka University of Goroka is a university in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It provides teaching in three schools (Education, Science & Technology, and Humanities) and in three institutes (Postgraduate Studies, Technical Vocational ...

. Several NGOs also have presences there, including

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

and Save the Children. The town's single largest hotel is the Bird of Paradise, owned by the Coral Seas Hotels chain. Coffee is a common cash crop in the area; smaller industries include trout farms, pigs, bee keeping and food gardens (broccoli, kau kau or sweet potato, carrots, ginger and peanuts are examples of produce that grow well here; nearby Bena Bena is known for its pineapples).

Events

In May, Goroka hosts the PNG Coffee Festival. The

Goroka Show The Goroka Show is a well-known tribal gathering and cultural event in Papua New Guinea. It is a sing-sing held every year close to the country's Independence Day (16 September) in the town of Goroka, the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province. ...

event takes place annually around the time of the country's Independence Day (September 16). It continues for two or three days. The Goroka Show is the oldest show in Papua New Guinea, over 50 years of "keeping the spirit alive".

Climate

Goroka has a subtropical highland climate (''Cfb''). Due to altitude Goroka features warm to very warm afternoons and cool to mild mornings year-round, with heavy rainfall most of the year and low rainfall from June to September.

Notable people

Goroka is the birthplace of ex- Premier of Tasmania Lara Giddings * Rugby league players Stanley Gene and

James Segeyaro James Segeyaro (born 11 November 1990), also known by the nickname of "Chicko" is a Papua New Guinean-Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the FC Lézignan XIII in the Elite One Championship. He previously playe ...

References

External links

*
The University of GorokaMelanesian InstituteCRMF Christian Radio Missionary FellowshipGoroka Show websiteLiturgical Catechetical Institute
{{Authority control Populated places in Eastern Highlands Province Provincial capitals in Papua New Guinea