Papua New Guinea
New Guinea (Mainland)

New Guinea is the second largest island in the world, after Greenland. The western half of the island consists of the province of Irian Jaya of Indonesia, and the eastern portion contains the bulk of the independent state of Papua New Guinea.
The island is generally long and narrow and is crossed by a long mountain range. The coasts are swampy, and much of the interior is covered with dense rainforests. The plains in the interior are fertile, and minerals such as gold, silver, platinum, and copper are found there, but transport is difficult. The island also has petroleum and natural-gas deposits.

Lying immediately south of the Equator, New Guinea has a tropical, humid climate. The fauna is similar to that of Australia, with only a few varieties of mammals, but the island is notable for the many varieties of magnificently coloured birds, particularly birds of paradise. The indigenous people belong to three principal groups: the Negritos, Melanesians, and Papuans.

The great majority of people subsist by hunting, fishing, and cultivating bananas, maize, cassava, sago, yams, and other crops.