Interesting Papua New Guinea Facts
Papua New Guinea is an island country located in Western Oceania (region) where it is bordered by Indonesia and the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. It stretches across 462,840 km2 of land. The total population of Papua New Guinea is thought to be more than 8,251,162.
Find out interesting Papua New Guinea facts and information about this Oceanian country with our fact file for kids. Discover important facts about the geography, landscape, landmarks, flag, population, size, continent, language, people, culture, climate, currency and location of Papua New Guinea.
Journey through Oceania (region) with our interesting Papua New Guinea facts for kids based on questions such as: What continent is Papua New Guinea in? What is the main language of Papua New Guinea? What is the geography of Papua New Guinea like? What are the major cities of Papua New Guinea? How big is Papua New Guinea?
Papua New Guinea Fact File: Continent: Oceania (region) * Country Name(s): Papua New Guinea, Independent State of Papua New Guinea * Location: Western Oceania (region) * Bordering: Indonesia and the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean * Capital City: Port Moresby * Size: 462,840 km2 * Estimated Population: over 8,251,162 * Currency: Papua New Guinean kina (PGK) * Language(s): English, Hiri Motu, Papua New Guinean Sign Language, Tok Pisin * Country Code: +675
Interesting Papua New Guinea Facts for Kids
Interesting Facts for Kids 1: Size & location facts
Papua New Guinea forms part of the continent of Oceania (region), it is classed as an island country and is positioned in Indonesia and the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean in Western Oceania (region). There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Australia (plus Oceania) is the world's smallest continent, occupying a total area of 9,008,500 km2. Australia (plus Oceania) has 14 countries, and forms 5.9% of the world's landmass. Oceania is a geographical region that includes the continent of Australia. The continent of Australia comprises of mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, New Britain, and numerous small adjacent islands. New Zealand is not located on the continent of Australia. However, Australasia is a region of Oceania that includes New Zealand, Australia and Melanesia. Many of the Pacific island countries are located in subregions of Oceania. The subregions are defined as Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. Papua New Guinea is an island country that occupies a total area of approximately 462,840 km2. It is is one of the largest countries in the region of Oceania, Australia being the largest country by far. Papua New Guinea occupies part of the island of New Guinea and has islands in Melanesia, one of Oceania's subregions.
Interesting Facts for Kids 2: Population facts
The population of this Oceanian country is in excess of 8,251,162 people. The majority of Papua New Guinea's inhabitants reside in Port Moresby which is the country's most populous city. Papua New Guinea has an average population when compared to most other countries across the world, its overall population density is approximately 14 people per sq km. The estimated population of Oceania (region) is approximately 39,331,000 inhabitants, making it the continent with the smallest population in the world (excluding Antarctica). The continents in order of population, starting with highest population first, are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia (Oceania Region) and Antarctica. The total population of the entire world is in excess of 7.6 billion people.
Interesting Facts for Kids 3: Capital & major cities
The capital city of Papua New Guinea is Port Moresby. Other major cities located in this country include Lae, Arawa, Mt Hagen, Popondetta and Madang.
Interesting Facts for Kids 4: Country borders
The following border information provides details on the length of Papua New Guinea's borders:
Coastline 5,152 km, Indonesia 824 km.
Interesting Facts for Kids 5: Climate and geography facts
Papua New Guinea has a hot tropical climate with two monsoon periods. The northwest monsoon occurs from December to March, and the southeast monsoon occurs from May to October. The geography of Papau New Guinea consists mainly of mountainous regions, lowlands and coastal plains. The lowest point of Papua New Guinea is the Pacific Ocean at 0m, and the highest point of elevation is Mount Wilhelm at 4,509m.
Interesting Facts for Kids 6: Natural Resources of Papua New Guinea
Natural resources are materials and substances that can be found occurring naturally on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of natural resources present in an individual country depends on varying factors which are influenced by the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, have many natural resources, where as some other countries have limited to none. Food, transport and construction are three of the primary uses of natural resources. For example, fish is a naturally occurring resource that can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into different types of fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber from forests can be used to build homes and furniture. The natural resources of Papua New Guinea include gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil and fisheries.
Interesting Facts for Kids 7: Language facts
The official languages of Papua New Guinea are Tok Pisin, English and Hiri Motu. Hundreds of indigenous languages are spoken in this country.
Interesting Facts for Kids 8: Religion facts
The primary religion of Papua New Guinea is Roman Catholic at approximately 27% of the population. Around 69% are Protestant. The remaining population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.
Interesting Facts for Kids 9: Symbols of Papua New Guinea
Each country across the world has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, mottos, anthems and songs are used to symbolize the pride and individuality of a nation. These national symbols are formed through the unique history of a nation and are symbolic of both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, colors, songs and mottos reflect the past, present and future aspirations of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can represent a combination of things that are important to a country such as birds, animals, plants, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. Here are some important facts on the symbols, songs and colors of Papua New Guinea:
National symbol(s): bird of paradise
National colors: red and black
National Anthem/Song: O Arise All You Sons
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
National Motto(s): Unity in Diversity