Papua New GuineaCountry in OceaniaFlagEmblemMotto: 'Unity in diversity'Anthem: "O Arise, All You Sons"Royal anthem: "God Save the King"Location of Papua New Guinea (green)Capitaland largest cityPort Moresby09°28′44″S147°08′58″E / 9.47889°S 147.14944°E / -9.47889; 147.14944Official languagesEnglishHiri MotuPNG Sign LanguageTok PisinIndigenous languages839 languagesReligion (2011)95.5% Christianity (official) 64.3% Protestantism26.0% Catholicism5.2% other Christian3.1% unspecified1.4% others or noneDemonymPapua New GuineanGovernmentUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy• MonarchCharles III• Governor-GeneralBob Dadae• Prime MinisterJames MarapeLegislatureNational ParliamentIndependence from Australia• Territory of Papua1 September 1906• Territory of New Guinea19 May 1921• Administrative union1 July 1949• Self-governing 1 December 1973• Independence16 September 1975Area • Total462,840 km (178,700 sq mi) (54th)• Water (%)2.2Population• 2021 estimate 11,781,559 (93rd)• 2024 census10,185,363• Density25.5/km (66.0/sq mi)GDP (PPP)2025 estimate• Total $41.810 billion (135th)• Per capita $3,760 (162nd)GDP (nominal)2025 estimate• Total $32.840 billion (108th)• Per capita $2,560 (142nd)Gini (2009)41.9medium inequalityHDI (2023) 0.576medium (160th)CurrencyKina (PGK)Time zoneUTC+10, +11 (PNGST)Calling code+675ISO 3166 codePGInternet TLD.pgPapua New Guinea (PNG), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia.
JayapuraJayapura (formerly Hollandia (1910–1962), Kota Baru (1962–1963), Soekarnopura (1963–1968)) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Papua on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on the northern coast of the island and covers an area of 835.48 km2 (322.58 sq mi). The city borders the Pacific Ocean and Yos Sudarso Bay to the north, the country of Papua New Guinea to the east, Keerom Regency to the south, and Jayapura Regency to the west.
Papuan PeninsulaThe Papuan Peninsula, also known as the Bird's Tail Peninsula, is a large peninsula in Papua New Guinea, southeast of the city of Lae, that makes up the southeastern portion of the island of New Guinea. The peninsula is the easternmost extent of the New Guinea Highlands and consists largely of the Owen Stanley Range, with peaks such as Mount Victoria (4,038 m) and Mount Suckling (3,676 m). On the south coast is Port Moresby, the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea.
Coral SeaMarginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia Coral SeaInteractive map of Coral SeaLocationWestern Pacific Ocean (Oceania)Coordinates18°S 158°E / 18°S 158°E / -18; 158TypeSeaBasin countries Australia New Caledonia (France) Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands Vanuatu Surface area4,791,000 km2 (1,850,000 sq mi)Average depth2,394 m (7,854 ft)Max.
New GuineaNew Guinea (Tok Pisin: Niugini; Hiri Motu: Niu Gini; Indonesian: Papua, fossilized Nugini, also known as Papua or historically Irian) is the world's second-largest island, with an area of 785,753 km2 (303,381 sq mi). It has the third-largest remaining rainforest globally, and the highest plant biodiversity of any island.
World War IIGlobal conflict from 1939 to 1945BelligerentsAlliesAxisCommanders and leadersMain Allied leaders: Joseph StalinFranklin D. RooseveltWinston ChurchillChiang Kai-shekMain Axis leaders: Adolf HitlerHirohitoBenito MussoliniCasualties and losses 60–75 million deaths (military and civilian) World War II, or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945), was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers.
AmericasLandmass comprising North and South AmericaThe Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America. When viewed as a single continent, the Americas are the second largest continent by area after Asia and the third largest continent by population. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and constitute the "New World", in contrast to the "Old World" of Afro-Eurasia.
Tok PisinTok Pisin (English: TOK PISS-in, tawk, -zin; Tok Pisin: [tok pisin]), often referred to by English speakers as New Guinea Pidgin or simply Pidgin, is an English creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an official language of Papua New Guinea and the most widely used language in the country.
Southeast AsiaSubregion of the Asian continentSoutheast Asia is the geographical southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of mainland Australia, which is a part of Oceania. Southeast Asia is bordered to the north by East Asia, to the west by South Asia and the Bay of Bengal, to the east by Oceania and the Pacific Ocean, and to the south by Australia and the Indian Ocean.
Japan during World War IIJapan participated in World War II from 1939 to 1945 as a member of the Axis. World War II and the Second Sino-Japanese War encapsulated a significant period in the history of the Empire of Japan, marked by significant military campaigns and geopolitical maneuvers across the Asia-Pacific region.
Primate cityA primate city is a city that is the largest in its country, province, state, or region, and disproportionately larger than any others in the urban hierarchy. A primate city distribution is a rank-size distribution that has one very large city with many much smaller cities and towns and no intermediate-sized urban centers, creating a statistical king effect. The law of the primate city was first proposed by the geographer Mark Jefferson in 1939.
Pacific OceanLargest ocean on EarthThe Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.