Who are Papua New Guineans?

The indigenous population of Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous in the world. PNG has several thousand separate communities,most with only a few hundred people. Although the country has three official languages (English, Tok Pisin, and Motu), its more-than 800 other languages add to the country's vast cultural diversity. Its history has been marked by low-scale tribal conflict among the neighboring communities and the advent of modern weapons and migration into urban areas has magnified the impact of this problem.

Population Facts:

Population: 6,057,263 (July 2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 107

Median Age: 21.7 years

Urban Population: 12% of total population (2008)

Life Expectancy: total population: 66.34 years

country comparison to the world: 160

Ethnic Groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Language: The three official languages are English, Tok Pisin, and Motu; there are approximately 860 other languages

Literacy: total population: 57.3%

Where In the World is Papua New Guinea?

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is part of Oceania, a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Situated about 100 miles north of Australia, PNG shares the island of New Guinea with Indonesia. It lies just south of the equator and west of the international date-line. The island is part of a great arc of mountains stretching from Asia, through Indonesia and into the South Pacific. Part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", its mountains include active volcanoes.

PNG boasts a tropical climate with slight temperature variations and seasonal monsoons. In addition to its volcanism, the island is subject to frequent earthquakes, mud slides, and tsunamis.