Definition of New Guinea

Also known as Papua, New Guinea is a large island located in the ocean Peaceful, just north of Australia. This is considered to be one of the largest islands on the planet along with Greenland and Australia. Its area reaches almost eight hundred thousand square kilometers, while its population it barely exceeds seven million inhabitants.

New Guinea is divided into three main regions, each with its own capital city. The westernmost region comprises the smallest portion of territory, with the city of Manokwari as the capital. The central part, known as Papua, has its capital city in Jayapura and the eastern region or Papua New Guinea is the largest of the three, forming an independent country since 1975. Its capital is Port Moresby, located in the south of the island and inhabited by around 250,000 inhabitants.

The history of the island of New Guinea is very rich and interesting. Because this region of the planet remained for a long time unknown to European man, it was not until the 16th century that the first European travelers arrived there. Until that time, the island remained inhabited by natives organized into different and varied tribes. These tribes of different origins may have inhabited the island as long ago as sixty thousand years ago. It is believed that many of them still remain in remote places on the islands where the white man has not invaded.

Throughout the nineteenth century, the presence of European man would make itself felt more force and at the end of the same, the current territory of the island would be divided between three nations: Holland (which controlled the western section), Germany (the northeastern part), and Great Britain (the region southeast).

One of the most distinctive and beautiful elements of this island is its biodiversity, as well as his weather and his geography. The island is crossed by an important mountain chain that reaches peaks of almost five thousand meters. In addition, the Sepik, Mamberamo, Fly and Digul rivers allow the island to be inhabited by connecting all its regions. The climate of this island is tropical, which means that there is a diversity immense and colorful of plants and vegetables, many of them endemic as species of birds (more than 650), amphibians, marsupials, kangaroos and beautiful insects.