The New Guinea Portal

Introduction

New Guinea
Native name:
Papua, Niugini, Niu Gini
Geography
LocationOceania (Melanesia)
ArchipelagoMelanesia and Malay Archipelago
Area785,753 km2 (303,381 sq mi)
Area rank2nd
A view at Piaynemo, one of the islands of the Raja Ampat Islands

New Guinea (Tok Pisin: Niugini; Hiri Motu: Niu Gini; Indonesian: Papua, fossilized Nugini, or historically Irian) is the world's second-largest island, with an area of 785,753 km2 (303,381 sq mi). Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the 150-kilometre (81-nautical-mile; 93-mile) wide Torres Strait, though both landmasses lie on the same continental shelf, and were united during episodes of low sea level in the Pleistocene glaciations as the combined landmass of Sahul. Numerous smaller islands are located to the west and east. The island's name was given by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez during his maritime expedition of 1545 due to the resemblance of the indigenous peoples of the island to those in the African region of Guinea. (Full article...)


Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands in Melanesia (a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia). It shares its only land border with Indonesia to the west and its other close neighbours are Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the east. Its capital, located on its southern coast, is Port Moresby. The country is the world's third largest island country, with an area of 462,840 km2 (178,700 sq mi). (Full article...)


Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua, the region is also called West Papua (Indonesian: Papua Barat). (Full article...)

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General images - show new batch

The following are images from various New Guinea-related articles on Wikipedia.

In the news

15 September 2024 – Mining in Papua New Guinea
At least 20 people are killed in clashes between illegal miners near the Porgera Gold Mine in Porgera, Papua New Guinea. (AP)
12 September 2024 –
Papuan prime minister James Marape survives a vote of no confidence. (RNZ)

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