Goroka is the capital of the

Eastern Highlands Province Eastern Highlands is a highlands province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Goroka. The province covers an area of 11,157 km², and has a population of 579,825 (2011 census). The province shares a common administrative boundary w ...

of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 19,000 people (2000), above sea level. It has an

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

(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 in

Morobe province Morobe Province is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital and largest city is Lae. The province covers 33,705 km2, with a population of 674,810 (2011 census), and since the division of Southern Highlands P ...

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 "High ...

also in the Eastern Highlands. Other nearby towns include

Kundiawa Kundiawa is the capital of Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea, with a population of 8,147 (2000 Census). It lies along the Highlands Highway approximately halfway between Goroka and Mount Hagen, respectively the capitals of the Eastern Highlands ...

Simbu Province Chimbu, more frequently spelled Simbu, is a province in the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea. The province has an area of 6,112 km2 and a population of 376,473 (2011 census). The capital of the province is Kundiawa. Mount Wilhelm, the ta ...

and

Mount Hagen Mount Hagen ( tpi, Maun Hagen) is the third largest city in Papua New Guinea, with a population of 46,250. It is the capital of the Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainland Papua New Guinea, ...

Western Highlands Province Western Highlands is a province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Mount Hagen. The province covers an area of 4,299 km2, and there are 362,850 inhabitants (2011 census), making the Western Highlands the most densely populated pr ...

. 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, 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 Vocationa ...

. Several NGOs also have presences there, including Oxfam and

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

. 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 The premier of Tasmania is the head of the executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the House of Assembly is invited by the governor of ...

Lara Giddings Larissa Tahireh "Lara" Giddings (born 14 November 1972) is a former Australian politician who was the 44th Premier of Tasmania from 24 January 2011 until 31 March 2014, the first woman to hold the position. Born in Goroka, Papua New Guinea, she ...

* Rugby league players

Stanley Gene Stanley Gene (born 11 May 1974) is a Papua New Guinean former rugby league Kumul (#166) player and professional Assistant Coach (Defence) of the Hull Kingston Rovers. He previously coached Gateshead Thunder and the academy team at Hull Kingst ...

and James Segeyaro. GorokaMarket

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

Events

Climate

Notable people

See also

References

External links