Nuku, also known as Nuku Station, is the capital of
Nuku District in
Sandaun Province
Sandaun Province (formerly West Sepik Province) is the northwesternmost mainland province of Papua New Guinea. It covers an area of 35,920 km2 (13868 m2) and has a population of 248,411 (2011 census). The capital is Vanimo. In July 1998 the a ...
,
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 ...
. It is located within
Mawase Rural LLG.
The language of Nuku is
Mehek, though
Tok Pisin
Tok Pisin (,Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student’s Handbook'', Edinburgh ; Tok Pisin ), often referred to by English speakers as "New Guinea Pidgin" or simply Pidgin, is a creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an ...
is also widely spoken.
The district is the tertiary level of political division within Papua New Guinea, after the national and provincial levels. The population is approximately 800, though this is variable with the presence of government employees who may only spend short periods of time in the capital, though they may maintain a residence there. Nuku contains a government outpost, post office, medical center, and airstrip. There are several trade stores, and some Western goods can be purchased, though these are not consistent or reliable for any given item.
The global coordinates for Nuku are 3° 40’ 46.03” S x 142° 28’ 50.51” E, and it lies at an average elevation of 815 feet, though the area is mountainous and the elevation is variable. Nuku is accessible by motor vehicle, though the roads are quite rough and can be impassible during the rainy season. The nearest large town,
Mai, is about two hours by motor vehicle or eight hours walking.
References
{{coord, 3, 40, S, 142, 29, E, display=title, region:PG_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
Populated places in Sandaun Province