The New Guinea Highlands, also known as the Central Range or Central Cordillera, is a long chain of

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

s on the island of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

, including the island's tallest peak,

Puncak Jaya Puncak Jaya (; literally "Glorious Peak") or Carstensz Pyramid, Mount Jayawijaya or Mount Carstensz () on the island of New Guinea, with an elevation of , is the highest mountain peak of an island on Earth. The mountain is located in the Sudi ...

, the highest mountain in

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

. The range is home to many intermountain river

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

s, many of which support thriving agricultural communities. The highlands run generally east-west the length of the island, which is divided politically between

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

in the west and

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 ...

in the east.

Geography

The Central Cordillera, some peaks of which are capped with ice, consists of (from east to west): the Central Highlands and Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea including the Owen Stanley Range in the southeast, whose highest peak is Mount Victoria at 4,038 metres (13,248 feet), the Albert Victor Mountains, the Sir Arthur Gordon Range, and the

Bismarck Range The Bismarck Range is a mountain range in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. The range is named after the German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. From the 1880s to 1914, this part of the island was a German colony. The highest ...

, whose highest peak is Mount Wilhelm at 4,509 metres (14,793 feet), which is an extinct volcano with a crater lake; the

Star Mountains The Star Mountains ( Dutch ( colonial)'': Sterrengebergte''; Indonesian'': Pegunungan Bintang'') are a mountain range in western Papua New Guinea and the eastern end of Highland Papua, Indonesia, stretching from the eastern end of Indonesia t ...

on the

–

border; and the Maoke Mountains or Snow Range in Indonesia, where perpetual snow was found by H. A. Lorentz in 1909 at 4,461 m (14,635 ft), and whose highest peaks are

(Mt. Carstensz) at 4,884 m (16,024 feet), Puncak Mandala (Mt. Juliana) at 4,760 m (15,610 ft) and Puncak Trikora (Mt. Wilhelmina) at 4,750 m (15,580 ft). Jally Society cultural House - panoramio

Jally Society cultural House - panoramio

Although some valleys such as the Waghi Valley in the Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea are heavily cultivated and support urban settlements most of the mountains have traditional tribal village communities in the grassy mountain valleys. The PNG highland provinces are:

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 ...

;

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 ...

(or Chimbu) whose centre is the small coffee-growing town of Kundiawa on the Wahgi River near Mount Wilhelm;

Jiwaka Province Jiwaka is a province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is temporarily located in Kurumul. Mostly all provincial matters are handled in Kurumul while few are handled in Banz and Minj. The province covers an area of 4,798 km², and ...

; the Western Highlands; the rugged Enga Province the home of the Enga people with its administration in the very small town of Wabag on the Lai River, and containing the large

Porgera Gold Mine The Porgera Gold Mine is a large gold and silver mining operation in near Porgera, Enga province, Papua New Guinea (PNG), located at the head of the Porgera Valley. The mine is situated in the rain forest covered highlands at an altitude of 2,200 ...

;

Hela Province Hela is a province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Tari. The province covers an area of 10,498 km², and there are 249,449 inhabitants (2011 census figures). Hela province officially came into being on 17 May 2012, comprising t ...

;

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 ...

, with its centre in the small town and airport of

Mendi Mendi, Papua New Guinea, is the provincial capital of the Southern Highlands Province. 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 V ...

, and containing the Huli wigmen area around the town of Tari; and parts of West Sepik Province and

Western Province Western Province or West Province may refer to: * Western Province, Cameroon *Western Province, Rwanda *Western Province (Kenya) *Western Province (Papua New Guinea) *Western Province (Solomon Islands) *Western Province, Sri Lanka *Western Provin ...

. The Highlands Highway connects many of these towns. Larger urban areas in the PNG Highlands include the Western Highlands capital and PNG's 3rd largest city

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, ...

(near the extinct Mount Hagen (volcano)), the Eastern Highlands capital and former colonial town of Goroka, and the mining town of

Tabubil Tabubil is a town located in the Star Mountains area of the North Fly District of Western Province, Papua New Guinea. The town, including the adjoining relocated village of Wangabin and the industrial area of Laydown (where industrial equipment wa ...

. The climate is humid as you would expect of the tropical rainforested island of New Guinea, but the higher mountain slopes are of course cooler than the lowlands. The Highlands are the source of a number of important rivers including the

Sepik River The Sepik () is the longest river on the island of New Guinea, and the second largest in Oceania by discharge volume after the Fly River. The majority of the river flows through the Papua New Guinea (PNG) provinces of Sandaun (formerly West Se ...

and Ramu River in the north and the

Fly River The Fly River is the third longest river in the island of New Guinea, after the Sepik River and Mamberamo River, with a total length of and the largest by volume of discharge in Oceania, the largest in the world without a single dam in its cat ...

in the south, and lakes including

Lake Kutubu Lake Kutubu is the second-largest lake in Papua New Guinea,Lake Kutubu
at Ramsar site after Chevron. Mining is also very active in the region to the detriment of indigenous groups, with frequent friction.

Topography

List of highest peaks in New Guinea Highlands by elevation. *

* Sumantri * Ngga Pulu * Carstensz East * Carstensz Timur * Puncak Mandala * Puncak Trikora *

Ngga Pilimsit Ngga Pilimsit (or Mount Idenburg, its colonial name) is a mountain located in the Indonesian province of Papua, in the Maoke Mountains. It rises 4,717 meters (15,476 ft). It is a little over thirteen miles west-northwest of Puncak Jaya, the ...

* Middenspits * Mount Yamin 14,900 ft (4,541 m) * Wachter * Gunung Speelman * Mount Wilhelm * JP Coen Peak * Valentijn Peak * Mount Giluwe *

Mount Kubor Mount Kubor (also known as Mount Leahy in honor of Mick Leahy (explorer) ) is a peak in the Kubor Range in the New Guinea Highlands, in the Simbu Province of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ...

* Mount Boising *

Mount Bangeta Mount Sarawaget is the highest mountain in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. It lies in the Saruwaged Range and at it is one of the highest mountains in the country. The name "Mount Bangeta" is sometimes used synonymously, but in other sources i ...

* Mt. Kabangama * Mount Victoria * Mt. Albert Edward * Mount Capella *

* Mount Suckling 12,060 ft (3,676 m) * Mount Michael * Mount Arfak *

Mount Bosavi Mount Bosavi is a mountain in the Southern Highlands province, Papua New Guinea. It is the collapsed cone of an extinct volcano on the Great Papuan Plateau, part of the Kikori River basin.Feld, pp.3–4 The crater is approximately 4 km wide ...

Rivers

List of River in New Guinea Highlands by length. *

* Mamberamo River *

Digul River The Digul River () is a major river in southern Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is the fourth longest river in New Guinea after Sepik River, Mamberamo River and Fly River. With a total length of and has a drainage b ...

Strickland River The Strickland River is a major river in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. It is the longest and largest tributary of the Fly River with a total length of including the Lagaip River the farthest distance river source of the Strickland ...

* Taritatu River * Purari River * Ramu River * Tariku River * Wawoi River * Kikori River * Baliem River * Pulau River * Turama River * Apaoewar River * Wahgi River *

Erave River Erave may refer to: * Erave language *The ''Erave'' dialect of the Kewa language *Erave, a settlement in Kagua-Erave District, Papua New Guinea {{dab ...

Ok Tedi River The Ok Tedi is a river in New Guinea. The Ok Tedi Mine is located near the headwaters of the river, which is sourced in the Star Mountains. It is the second largest tributary of the Fly River. Nearly the entirety of the river runs through the N ...

Markham River The Markham River is a river in eastern Papua New Guinea. It originates in the Finisterre Range and flows for to empty into the Huon Gulf at Lae. The river was named in 1873 by Captain John Moresby, R.N., in honour of Sir Clements Markham, then ...

* Kumusi River * Gami River * Tor River *

Ka River Ka River (also known as Gulbin Ka River) is a river in the northern part of Nigeria. Originating in Zamfara State, it runs some west into Kebbi State where it joins with the Sokoto River about south of Birnin Kebbi, shortly before joining the Ni ...

* Aikwa River * Kaugel River

Geology

This chain of mountains continues to rise (with corresponding quakes) as the

Australian Plate The Australian Plate is a major tectonic plate in the eastern and, largely, southern hemispheres. Originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwana, Australia remained connected to India and Antarctica until approximately when India broke ...

collides with the plates to the northeast, yet marking the southern boundaries of the Maoke and

Woodlark The woodlark or wood lark (''Lullula arborea'') is the only extant species in the lark genus ''Lullula''. It is found across most of Europe, the Middle East, western Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident (non- migratory) ...

plates. The width of the mountain range varies considerably, with a central thin segment near the borders of the two nations. The surface geology of the highlands is made up of metamorphic and intrusive igneous rocks. The metamorphic rocks were

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

and

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

ocean sediments that were uplifted and folded between the Eocene and early Miocene periods. There are also

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...

stratovolcanoes in the highlands, including

and Mount Giluwe.

History

Gunter Lege in West-Papua, Polonsili Yalimo-Gebiet (01)

The fertile Highlands have long been inhabited and artifacts uncovered in the Ivane Valley indicate that the Highlands were first settled about 50,000 years ago. The inhabitants were nomadic foragers but around 10,000 years ago began developing a fairly advanced agricultural society. The Highlands were not settled by the Western powers during the early colonial period and they were first visited by western zoologists and explorers, such as Mick Leahy, who opened the Wahgi Valley and

, and Richard Archbold in the 1930s. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the eastern highlands saw the

Kokoda Track campaign The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Territory of Papua. It was primar ...

in which Australian and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

soldiers, along with native guides who were pressed into service, fought and ultimately stopped the Japanese from advancing south towards

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...

and, ultimately, northern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

on the Australian mainland. The culture of inter-tribal warfare and animosity between the neighboring tribes have long been present in the Highlands.

Ecology

The New Guinea Highlands are home to a great variety of

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...

n plant and animal communities, distinct from the surrounding lowlands to the north and south of the central ranges and varying up and along the mountain ranges. The habitats of the mountains have been separated into two ecoregions, depending on their elevation, the tropical montane forests and alpine grasslands, but within these broad bands there is a variety of wildlife along the island as some of the mountains stand quite a distance from others with some species of plant or animal existing on only one or two mountains. Particular centres of plant diversity are: the Star Mountains area of western Papua New Guinea near the Indonesian border including

Telefomin Telefomin is a station town on the border of Sandaun and Western Provinces in Papua New Guinea. The town started during the Second World War after Mick Leahy was assigned to engineer an air-strip in 1944 for the United States for use against th ...

and Strickland Gorge; the Hunstein Range; Mount Giluwe, a major birdwatching area for

birds-of-paradise The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species are found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia. The family has 44 species in 17 genera. The members of ...

; the volcanic limestone Kubor Range; the Bismarck Range/Mount Wilhelm/ Schrader Range/Mount Gahavisuka, of which Mount Wilhelm is particularly rich in endemic species; and finally the Crater Mountain and Mount Michael in the Eastern Highlands.

Central Range montane rain forests

The montane rain forests (from 1,000 to 3,000m) can be further categorised into three broad vegetation zones on the mountains, distinguished by elevation. The lower montane forests extend from 1,000 to 1,500 metres elevation. They are dominated by broadleaf evergreen trees, including '' Castanopsis acuminatissima,'' '' Lithocarpus'' spp., elaeocarps, and

laurels ''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cookin ...

. Coniferous Araucarias may form thick stands. The upper montane forests, which extend from 1,500 to 2,500 metres elevation, are dominated by moss-covered ''

Nothofagus ''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Gui ...

''. Finally, the high mountain forest extends from 2,500 to 3,000 metres elevation. Conifers (''

Podocarpus ''Podocarpus'' () is a genus of conifers, the most numerous and widely distributed of the podocarp family, the Podocarpaceae. The name comes from Greek πούς (poús, “foot”) + καρπός (karpós, “fruit”). ''Podocarpus'' species ...

Dacrycarpus ''Dacrycarpus'' is a genus of conifers belonging to the family Podocarpaceae.Christopher N. Page. 1990. "Podocarpaceae" pages 332-346. In: Klaus Kubitzki (general editor); Karl U. Kramer and Peter S. Green (volume editors) ''The Families and Gene ...

Dacrydium ''Dacrydium'' is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Sixteen species of evergreen dioecious trees and shrubs are presently recognized. The genus was first described by Solander in 1786, and formerly included many m ...

, Papuacedrus, Araucaria,'' and '' Libocedrus'') and broadleaf trees of the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae) form a thin canopy, with a prominent understory. The montane forests are home to a rich wildlife, a great deal of which is unique to these mountains including many plants, reptiles and over 100 birds and animals. Of the 90 mammals found on the island, 44 are endemic, a very high proportion. The birds and animals include many Australasian species such as tree-kangaroos, bowerbirds, Australasian robins, honeyeaters, and birds-of-paradise. Four of the endemic mammals are critically endangered: the Bulmer's fruit bat, with only tiny communities remaining in the Papua New Guinea end of the island, and three rodents; a large ''

Leptomys ''Leptomys'' is a genus of rodent endemic to New Guinea. It is considered part of the New Guinea Old Endemics, meaning it was part of the first wave of murine rodents to colonize the island. Leptomys are seen to have minimal adaptations to thei ...

'', the eastern shrew mouse, and the lesser small-toothed rat. There are 55 bird species endemic to the mountains from a total of 348 birds found here. There are a number of endemic butterflies, particularly on the

Weyland Mountains Weyland or Weylandt may refer to: In mythology * Weyland or Wayland the Smith, a legendary smith in Germanic and Norse mythology ** Völundarkviða, the ''Lay of Weyland'', a Norse epic poem about the smith People * Bernadette Weyland, German ...

and the Wahgi Valley. 20170903 Papouasie Baliem valley 12

Apart from in the cultivated valleys the montane forests are largely intact, although the logging industry is a constant threat as more and more access to the mountains is achieved by road building. 20% of this ecoregion is contained within protected areas, mostly in the Indonesian half of the island, including the largest protected area in

South East Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

, the huge Lorentz National Park in the highlands, a section of which is montane forest ecosystem.

Central Range sub-alpine grasslands

Above 3,000 metres elevation, the high mountain forest yields to remote sub-alpine habitats including alpine meadows, conifer forest, tree-fern (''

Cyathea ''Cyathea'' is a genus of tree ferns, the type genus of the fern order Cyatheales. The genus name ''Cyathea'' is derived from the Greek ''kyatheion'', meaning "little cup", and refers to the cup-shaped sori on the underside of the fronds. De ...

'') grasslands, bogs, and shrubby heaths of '' Rhododendron,

Vaccinium ''Vaccinium'' is a common and widespread genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae). The fruits of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry (whort ...

, Coprosma,

Rapanea ''Rapanea'' is a genus of plant in family Primulaceae. It has often been placed in synonymy with '' Myrsine'', and many species have been moved to ''Myrsine''. , Plants of the World Online does not accept the genus, regarding it as a synonym of ' ...

'', and '' Saurauia'' all quite different from the tropical rain forest that covers most of New Guinea. The alpine habitat above 4,000 metres consists of compact rosette and cushion herbs, such as '' Ranunculus, Potentilla, Gentiana'', and ''

Epilobium ''Epilobium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, containing about 197 species. The genus has a worldwide distribution. It is most prevalent in the subarctic, temperate and subantarctic regions, whereas in the subtropics an ...

'', grasses ('' Poa'' and '' Deschampsia''),

bryophyte The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited in s ...

s, and lichens. While there are a number of endemic plants there are few animals on the higher slopes, with only nine mammals found here: four rodents, two bats, a

cuscus Cuscus ( or ) is the common name generally given to the species within the four genera of Australasian possum of the family Phalangeridae with the most tropical distribution: * ''Ailurops'' * ''Phalanger'' * ''Spilocuscus'' * ''Strigocuscus'' ...

possum, an antechinus and Doria's tree-kangaroo ('' Dendrolagus dorianus''). Four of these are endemic: the small marsupial black-tailed antechinus ('' Murexechinus melanurus''),

western shrew mouse The western shrew mouse (''Pseudohydromys occidentalis'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in West Papua (region), West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. References

* Pseudohydromys Rodents of Papua New Gui ...

, glacier rat and

alpine woolly rat The alpine woolly rat (''Mallomys gunung'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in West Papua, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the I ...

. There are nearly 100 birds of which 28 are considered endemic or nearly so, including the vulnerable long-bearded honeyeater (''Melionyx princeps''), ribbon-tailed astrapia ('' Astrapia mayeri'') and Macgregor's giant honeyeater, which although endangered generally is a cultural icon of the Ketengban people of the Star Mountains and therefore protected in some areas. Almost half of these remote grasslands are protected in national parks and they are in good condition although in recent times more people are accessing the highlands as visitors or through involvement in mining.

Natural Parks

List of Natural Parks in New Guinea Highlands. * Lorentz National Park * Mount Wilhelm National Park

References

External links

* * {{Mountain ranges of New Guinea Australasian ecoregions Ecoregions of Indonesia Ecoregions of New Guinea Ecoregions of Papua New Guinea * * Geography of New Guinea Highlands Natural history of New Guinea Natural history of Papua New Guinea Natural history of Western New Guinea Natural regions Montane forests Montane grasslands and shrublands Mountain ranges of Western New Guinea Mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea Mountains of Western New Guinea Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests