West Papua has already been well-known all over the world. As the largest island in Indonesia, Papua is a paradise for those who still crave nature.
This island is about 420,540 kilometers, which means it is four times larger than Java Island.
What Makes West Papua A Natural Beauty
Thanks to the still existing forests on this island, Papua makes a natural beauty easy to find. The air temperature here can go between 19 to 28 C.
Since Papua is also a tropical region, the range of air humidity can go between 80 to 89 percent.
West Papua also consists of a variety of geographical conditions. You get to see mountainous areas, forests, jungles, farms, lakes, and even beaches.
It has villages and urban areas, where some towns are much more developed than the rural areas.
Because of this as well, the distribution of the population is uneven. More people live in developed areas like Sorong than in rural areas.
Another reason why this province is so famous is Raja Ampat. It is one of the most famous tourist attractions here, especially for diving fans.
The name of the place literally means “The Four Kings”, which is what the four big islands there represent.
The Cultural Diversity in West Papua
Look at the latest record of the population in West Papua:
1. The Population
According to IWGIA (The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs), West Papua has about 878,000 people. The rest of the 3.5 million live in Papua.
In both provinces, over half of the population has migrated from other parts of Indonesia.
These migrants were mostly the participants of the transmigration program sponsored by the Indonesian government between the 1970s and the beginning of the 2000s.
2. The Languages
Indonesian or Bahasa Indonesia is the official language spoken here. However, there are also over 250 tribal languages by the indigenous Papuans.
There are seven (7) distinct customary territories: Mamta (or Mamberamo Tabi), Saireri, Mee Pago, La Pago, and Ha Anim (all in Papua), while Domberai and Bomberai are in West Papua.
3. The Traditional Houses
There are several traditional houses in West Papua. The most famous one is influenced by Arfak ethnic group’s design. It is called The House of A Thousand Feet.
The miniature version of it can be seen in TMII (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah) or Indonesia’s Miniature Park.
In this tourist attraction, people can see all the traditional houses and customs from provinces around Indonesia.
Besides The House of A Thousand Feet, this province also has another traditional house which locals call Rumsram. Rumsram is designed by the Biak ethnic group. They live on the north coastline of Papua.
4. The Traditional Dances
West Papua is rich in traditional dances. The War Dance, Magasa, Suanggi, and Watukala are just some of them. The War Dance is popular in terms of showing off the bravery and heroism of indigenous Papuans.
Meanwhile, Magasa is a dance to warmly welcome guests or celebrate any kind of success.
There are still many other dances from this province that are enchanting to visitors from other parts of Indonesia and abroad.
5. The Local Culinary
Then, how about the local delicacies in West Papua? For starters, their staple food is called sago’. Sago is the source of carbohydrates here, just like rice for the people in Java Island and some other parts of Indonesia.
There are many delicacies made of sago here. For example, sago papeda, stuffed pancake, grilled fish, and the unique one – sago caterpillar satay.
Dare to try some? These are foods you may never find elsewhere.
Enjoy The Natural Beauty and Cultural Diversity In West Papua
There are many things you can enjoy while visiting Papua and West Papua.
The natural beauty and cultural diversity on this island are nothing like what you may have seen elsewhere before. Enjoy!
