West Papua New Guinea has been a part of Indonesia since 1962. Indonesia took this area from the Dutch after receiving its independence. The unique part is that Western Papua is different than Papua New Guinea.
The truth is that only West Papua that is included in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea doesn’t. Check the information below to know the difference between West Papua and Papua New Guinea and other things.
Why are West Papua and Papua New Guinea are Different?
Both West Papua and Papua New Guinea use the same name, Papua New Guinea but they are two different regions. So, why are they different? We have to see the historical background of this region to answer the question.
First, these regions were occupied by different countries. West Papua was occupied by the Dutch. Based on the agreement, the Dutch have to give all their conquered islands in Indonesia, including West Papua.
On the other hand, Papua New Guinea was occupied by Germany, the UK, and Australia. Then, Australia gave independence to Papua New Guinea in 1975. At that time, Indonesia didn’t have an agreement with Australia and couldn’t take Papua New Guinea as they did to Western Papua. It is the main reason why West Papua and Papua New Guinea are separated even on the same island.
The Borderlines between West Papua and Papua New Guinea
You may only see the separation of these two regions on the map. So, which are the borderlines of these regions based on the map of West Papua New Guinea? West Papua New Guinea is a 421.981 square kilometers area.
It is 1.200 kilometers or 750 miles from east to west and 736 kilometers or 457 miles from north to south. These two areas are separated by a river namely the Fly River. The border starts from the north at the northern coast of New Guinea, West of the Wutung Village and Mount Bougainville.
Moving to the south, it passes the Oenake Range, Kohari Hills, the Bewani Mountains, the Border Mountains, and the Central Highlands. The border follows the C-shaped curve cutting across the Kai Lagoon and the Bensbach River on the southern coast of New Guinea.
The official crossing point according to the agreement is between Jayapura in Indonesia and Vanimo in Papua New Guinea. Indonesia had established another border post in Waris, Keerom Regency, Sota and Torasi, and Merauke Regency.
West Papua New Guinea Demographics
We can also differentiate these two Papua regions based on their population. As a country, Papua New Guinea indeed has a bigger population compared to Western Papua New Guinea. Nowadays, Papua New Guinea population has reached over 8.6 million.
On the other hand, Western Papua only has over 963.000 people. People who live in both areas are also different. Western Papua population varies between Papuans, Melanesians, Austronesians, and Indonesians.
As the largest territory in Western Papua, Jayapura’s population reaches up to 200.000. The population in this area includes 312 tribes, such as the Dani, Asmat, Manikom, Kanum, Yali, Sawi, and many more.
They live around the valley, lakes, forest, and mountain slopes. Papua New Guinea even has hundreds of ethnic groups, including Chinese, Europeans, Australians, Indonesians, Filipinos, Polynesians, and Micronesians. Based on the data, 40.000 expatriates, including those from Australia and China were living in this region. 20.000 Australians are living there and indeed, it is because of the historical background.
Tourism Destinations in West Papua and Papua New Guinea
Despite the historical background, travelers should try to explore West Papua New Guinea tourism. Raja Ampat may be the most popular holiday destination in this region, yet it is not the only one. You can also visit other destinations, such as Lorentz National Park, Baliem Valley, Anggi Lakes, and many more.
Most of the destinations offer amazing views that you may never see before, along with a variety of animals Papua New Guinea. Indeed, you also have to include Papua New Guinea on your traveling list.
As Western Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea also offers great places to visit. Travelers can go to the National Museum and Art Gallery, Varirata National Park, JK McCarthy Museum, Volcanology Observatory, and many more. Don’t forget to taste the flavor of the local Papua New Guinea food, including Mumu, chicken pot, Kokoda, Saksak, Dia, and many more.
Western Papua and Papua New Guinea Languages
As part of Indonesia, the Western Papua New Guinea accent follows the Indonesian accent. Western Papuans also often speak using Papuan Malay. On the other hand, Papuans in Papua New Guinea speak using English as their primary language, although they also have local languages.
Some Papuans there also speak using Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin accents. This country has more diverse languages with over 800 languages than Western Papua New Guinea. The culture between these regions is also a bit different.
Western Papua New Guinea culture follows the tradition due to the tribes there. Let’s say wearing the Koteka or penis gourd is a common thing in Western Papua. Some cultures are taken from Indonesia. Papua New Guinea also has a diverse culture.
This region has cultural groups that express their culture through art, dance, weapons, costumes, music, and many more. Seashell is another example. It is no longer the currency of this region until 1933, yet some local groups still use seashells as their currency.
Resources
Papua New Guinea is the source of copper and gold. Western Papua New Guinea even has a place known as Tembagapura as the largest copper resource. Despite the resources, most Papuans are farmers.
They often grow coffee, cacao, and copra. Papua New Guinea coffee even has its label known as PNG that is produced in Vanuatu. West Papua New Guinea is also the source of crude oil, natural gas, timber, palm oil, silver, nickel, and cobalt.
The point is that West Papua New Guinea and Papua New Guinea are different based on the historical background. Yet, both of them are interesting to explore to get new traveling experience in the sense of its history, culture, demographics, and many more.
