Mendi,
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
, is the provincial capital of the
Southern Highlands Province
Southern Highlands is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its provincial capital is the town of Mendi. According to Papua New Guinea's national 2011 census, the total population of Southern Highlands (after the separation of Hela Province) is 515,511 ...
. The
Lai River flows by the town. It is served by
Mendi Airport. The town falls under
Mendi Urban LLG.
Geography
The town is located in the Mendi River Valley, above sea level, on the limestone hills from west to east. The
Kikori River
The Kikori River is a major river in southern Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea. The river has a total length of and flows southeast into the Gulf of Papua, with its delta at the head of the gulf. The settlement of Kikori lies on the de ...
originates from the mountainous area where Mendi is located, and the Erave and
Strickland rivers flow through the
Giluwe Mountains, the second highest peak of Papua New Guinea.
Climate
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as a
subtropical highland climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(''Cfb'').
Mendi features cool mornings, warm afternoons and heavy rainfall throughout the year.
Economy
Mendi's population is dense and the economy is relatively good. The town has vegetable and coffee plantations and tea gardens, as well as a sawmill. Mendi's traffic is mostly dependent on air transport.
Events
In mid-June 2018 a regional crisis occurred in Mendi when the Papua New Guinea central government declared a state of emergency and suspended the Southern Highlands provincial government based in Mendi for nine months. Rioting had occurred when a regional court had ruled against a challenge to a provincial election by the losing candidate. A local warehouse was looted, buildings in Mendi were torched, and a
Link PNG
Air Niugini Limited is the national airline of Papua New Guinea, based in Air Niugini House on the property of Jacksons International Airport, Port Moresby. It operates a domestic network from Port Moresby to 12 major airports while its subsidi ...
plane parked at the airport was destroyed by fire. Troops were sent in by the Papua New Guinea government to restore order.
[Australian Broadcasting Commission,]
Papua New Guinea declares nine-month state of emergency over riots'
16 June 2018.
See also
*
Mendi Urban LLG
*
Upper Mendi Rural LLG
References
Provincial capitals in Papua New Guinea
Populated places in Southern Highlands Province
{{SouthernHighlandsProvince-geo-stub