Papua
New
Guinea
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Papua
New Guinea consists of the
eastern half of the island of New
Guinea as well as hundreds of offshore islands. PNG is
just
slightly larger than the state of California, yet it has over 850
distinct languages, more than any other nation in the world!
The
country is also one of the world's least explored, culturally and
geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are
thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea.
The country's geography is similarly diverse and,
in places, extremely
rugged. A spine of mountains runs the length of the island of New
Guinea, forming a populous highlands region. Papua New
Guinea is one of the few regions close to the equator that experience
snowfall, which occurs in the most elevated parts of the mainland.
Dense
rainforests
can be found in the lowland and coastal areas. This terrain has made it
difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure. In
some areas, planes are the only mode of transport.
The majority of the population live in
traditional societies and practice subsistence-based agriculture.
Papua New Guinea gained its independence from
Australia in 1975.
source: Wikipedia
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Papua New Guinea flag
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Larger
Maps
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Official
Name : Independent State of Papua New Guinea
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Capital
City : Port Moresby
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Languages
: English, Motu, Tok Pisin, local languages
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Official
Currency : Kina
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Religions
: Protestant, Catholic, local beliefs
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Population
: 5,887,000 (July 2005 est.)
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Land
Area : 174,849 sq miles (452,860 sq km)
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Latitude/Longitude
: 6º 00S, 147º 00E
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Highest
Point : Mt. Wilheim - 14,793 feet (4,509 meters)
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