Papua New Guinea
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Country name - conventional short form : Papua New Guinea
Country name - local short form : Papuaniugini
Country name - former : Territory of Papua and New Guinea
Government type : constitutional parliamentary democracy
Capital - name : Port Moresby
Capital - time difference : UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Population : 5,931,769 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Papua New Guinean(s)
Nationality - adjective : Papua New Guinean
Currency (code) : kina (PGK)
Currency code : PGK
Major infectious diseases - degree of risk : very high
Papua New Guinea is located Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia. The climate is tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation. The terrain is mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.
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