East New Britain covers the north-easternportion of New Britain Island and the Duke of York Islands. The marine resources are diverse. The province’s only land border is with West New Britain Province to the west, and it also shares a maritime border with New Ireland Province to the east. Crime rates are low and the islands have feature many natural beauties.
Eastern Highlands Province features steep mountains and low coastal areas in the Markham and Ramu valleys. The two highest peaks are Mount Tabletop and Mt Michael, which rise at a height of more than 3000 metres above sea level. The valleys tend to be dominated by grassland while higher altitudes feature rain forests, beech forests and the palm-like pandanus species.
West New Britain occupies the western half of New Britain Island. It is populated by people from all over Papua New Guinea, many of whom come to work in the plantations and mills. One fourth of the population was born off the island, however, the highest rate for any province. The town of Talasea is a centre for the manufacture of shell money: obsidian, or volcanic glass, that is used in the manufacture of knives, spears and arrows. Shell money was used for trade from about 3000 BC until recent times.
Western Province is the largest province in Papua New Guinea by area. It shares a land border with the Indonesian province of Papua and a sea border with Australia. There are several large rivers that run through the province, including the Fly River, PNG’s biggest, and the Strickland and Ok Tedi Rivers. Lake Murray, PNG’s largest lake, is also in the province.
Western Highlands Province’s capital Mount Hagen is the third-largest city in Papua New Guinea, but it has a rural appearance, with its grass huts and terraced gardens where kaukau and other fruit and vegetables are grown in the Wahgi Valley. The people have a reputation for being industrious, goal-oriented and thrifty and they have been significant players in some key industries in PNG, notably: trucking, vehicle hire, taxis and buses, and agriculture.
Southern Highlands Province has lush, high valleys sandwiched between limestone peaks. Most of the natural vegetation is rainforest, with alpine woods and grasslands above 3000 metres. Swamps occur at all levels.
Sandaun Province (formerly West Sepik) is the outer province of Papua New Guinea. It is on the border of West Papua, which is Indonesia. The capital, Vanimo, is only 30 kilometres from the Indonesian border, which is closed to tourists. The province is the site of the headwaters of the Sepik River, which is covered in thick, forested mountains.
Oro Province is located to the east of the Owen Stanley mountain range, the barrier that separates the western and eastern parts of New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has announced a date for the signing of the gas agreement for the US$13 billion Papua LNG project. Opening the PNG Petroleum and Energy Summit in Port Moresby yesterday, he also outlined some of the key elements the agreement will contain.
Post-Brexit deal signed with Papua New Guinea and Fiji, new digital identity scheme and upgrades to Tari Airport in Hela. Your weekly digest of the latest business news.