Western New Guinea

Western New Guinea, also called Papua or Indonesian New Guinea, is the western half of the island of New Guinea. It was once part of the Dutch Empire but was granted to Indonesia in 1962. This area is one of the seven geographical units of Indonesia.

It lies to the west of Papua New Guinea and is part of the Australian continent. The region is covered mostly by rainforest and is home to traditional peoples like the Dani of the Baliem Valley. The largest city is Jayapura. Many people live near the coast, while others live deep in the interior.

The island has been home to people for tens of thousands of years. European traders arrived in the late 1500s because of the spice trade. The Dutch Empire controlled the western part until 1962. After some difficult times, Western New Guinea was given to Indonesia.

Today, the area is governed as six provinces of Indonesia. The official language is Indonesian, but there are many local languages, with estimates ranging from 200 to over 700. The main industries include agriculture, fishing, oil production, and mining. The region has many natural resources like gold and nickel.

Name

People choose different names for the western half of New Guinea based on their political views. The official name is "Papua," according to the International Organization for Standardization. Those who want independence call it "West Papua", and Indonesian officials started using "West Papua" for the western part of the region in 2007. In the past, it was known as Netherlands New Guinea from 1895 to 1962, then West New Guinea or West Irian from 1962 to 1973, Irian Jaya from 1973 to 2002, and Papua from 2002 onward. The Indonesian phrase for "Western New Guinea," Nugini Barat, is mostly used when talking about history, like the kampanye Nugini Barat "Western New Guinea campaign".

History

Human habitation in Western New Guinea is estimated to have begun over 50,000 years ago. Trade between New Guinea and nearby islands was documented as early as the seventh century. The Netherlands claimed the region in the nineteenth century and it became part of Indonesia in the 1960s.

Following reforms across Indonesia in 1998, Papua and other provinces received greater regional autonomy. In 2001, "Special Autonomy" status was granted to the region. The region was divided into provinces in 2003, and new provinces were created in 2022.

Geography

The region of Western New Guinea stretches 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) from east to west and 736 kilometres (457 miles) from north to south. It covers an area of 412,214.61 square kilometres (159,157 square miles), making up about 22% of Indonesia's land. The northern edge of this area follows the 141st meridian east to the Fly River.

New Guinea, the island this region is part of, lies east of the Malay Archipelago and is geologically connected to Australia. When sea levels were lower, New Guinea and Australia shared shorelines as part of the ancient landmass called Sahul. They separated when the Torres Strait filled with water after the Last Glacial Period ended.

The island of New Guinea was once attached to the Australian landmass and sat on the continent of Sahul. The collision between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate created the Maoke Mountains, which stretch 600 km (373 mi) across the center of the region and reach heights of up to 4,884 metres (16,024 feet). These mountains bring steady rain to the area. The landscape includes highland areas with alpine grasslands, rugged peaks, montane forests, rainforests, fast rivers, and deep valleys. Swamps and fertile lowlands dominate the southeast near Merauke, while swamps also extend around the Asmat region.

The Mamberamo River is the largest river in the region and runs the entire length of Papua. This creates a large area known as the Lakes Plains region, filled with lakes and rivers. The southern lowlands are home to fishermen and gatherers like the Asmat people and feature habitats such as mangrove forests, tidal swamps, freshwater swamps, and lowland rainforests.

Papua, like much of Indonesia, has two seasons: a dry season and a rainy season. From June to September, winds from Australia bring dry weather. From December to March, winds from Asia and the Pacific Ocean bring moist air, creating the rainy season. Temperatures in Papua range from 19°C to 28°C, with humidity between 80% and 89%. Annual rainfall varies from 1,500 mm to 7,500 mm, and snow sometimes falls in the mountainous areas.

Smaller mountain ranges are found north and west of the main central ranges. Most areas, except at high elevations, stay warm and humid year-round, with some changes during the northeast monsoon season.

The vast northern lowlands stretch for hundreds of kilometres and include lowland rainforests, extensive wetlands, savanna grasslands, and some of the world's largest mangrove forests. These lowlands are mainly drained by the Mamberamo River and its tributaries on the western side, and by the Sepik River on the eastern side, forming the Lakes Plains region.

Ecology

Western New Guinea lies where Asia and Australia’s plant and animal worlds meet near Wallacea. The region is about 75% forest and has a very high level of biodiversity. The island has around 16,000 plant species, with 124 of these groups found nowhere else. The mountainous areas and the north are covered in thick rainforests. The highlands have alpine grasslands, heath, pine forests, and shrubs. The south coast has mangroves, sago palms, and in drier areas, eucalyptus and other trees.

Marsupials are common here, with about 70 types including possums, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, and cuscus. There are also around 180 other mammal species, including the endangered long-beaked echidna. The region is the only part of Indonesia with kangaroos, marsupial mice, bandicoots, and ring-tailed possums. There are about 700 bird species, including cassowaries, bowerbirds, kingfishers, crowned pigeons, parrots, and cockatoos, with around 450 of these species found only here. Birds-of-paradise live in Kepala Burung and Yapen. The region also has around 800 spider species, 200 frog species, 30,000 beetle species, and 70 bat species. It is home to one of the world’s longest lizards, the Papuan monitor, and some of the largest butterflies. The waterways and wetlands support salt and freshwater crocodiles, tree monitors, flying foxes, ospreys, and other animals, while the equatorial glacier fields are still largely unexplored.

Scientists exploring the Foja Mountains in February 2005 discovered many new species of birds, butterflies, amphibians, and plants, including a type of rhododendron that may have the largest bloom of its kind.

Environmental concerns include deforestation, the spread of an introduced monkey species that threatens native wildlife, and pollution from copper and gold mining.

New Guinea is considered part of Melanesia by anthropologists. Botanically, it is part of Malesia, a plant region stretching from the Malay Peninsula through Indonesia to New Guinea and the East Melanesian Islands. The plant life includes many tropical rainforest species from Asia mixed with plants typical of Australia. Common Southern Hemisphere plants include Podocarpus conifers, Araucaria and Agathis rainforest trees, tree ferns, and several types of Eucalyptus.

New Guinea differs from Australia, its drier and flatter neighbor, because of its much higher rainfall and active volcanoes. However, the two share similar animals, including marsupials like wallabies and possums, and the egg-laying echidna. Besides bats and some rodents, there are no native placental mammals. Pigs, rats, and the ancestor of the New Guinea singing dog were brought by humans.

The island has about 16,000 plant species, with 124 groups that are found only here. Papua’s forests are home to marsupials such as possums, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, and cuscuses; other mammals like the endangered long-beaked echidna; birds including birds-of-paradise, cassowaries, parrots, and cockatoos; the world’s longest lizards (Papua monitor); and the world’s largest butterflies. The waterways and wetlands are home to salt and freshwater crocodiles, tree monitors, flying foxes, ospreys, bats, and other animals. The equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored.

Protected areas in Papua include Lorentz National Park, a World Heritage site, and Wasur National Park, a wetland of international importance. Birdlife International considers Lorentz Park one of the most important reserves in New Guinea. It contains five important ecoregions, including Southern New Guinea Lowland Forests, New Guinea Montane Forests, and New Guinea mangroves. Lorentz Park has many unexplored areas that may hold unknown plants and animals. Local people’s knowledge of the plants and animals there is also not well recorded. Wasur National Park is known for its high biodiversity and is sometimes called the “Serengeti of Papua.” About 70% of the park is savanna, with the rest being swamp forest, monsoon forest, coastal forest, bamboo forest, grassy plains, and sago swamp forest. The park is home to many bird species and many types of fish.

Some areas remain unexplored due to difficult terrain, so there may still be many undiscovered plants and animals. In February 2006, scientists in the Foja Mountains discovered new species, including a giant rat about five times the size of a regular rat and a very small possum. A later expedition in 2008 found new animals such as a frog with a long nose, a large woolly rat, a colorful imperial pigeon, a gecko with claws, and a small black wallaby.

Environmental threats include deforestation from logging, conversion of forests to farms (including oil palm), small-scale farming, introduced species that harm native wildlife, illegal animal trade, and water pollution from oil and mining.

Flora and fauna on the Bird's Head Peninsula

The Bird’s Head Peninsula, also called the Doberai Peninsula, is covered by montane rainforests and includes over 22,000 km² of forest at elevations above 1,000 m (3,300 ft). More than half of these forests are protected. The peninsula is home to over 300 bird species, including some that are found only here, such as the grey-banded munia, Vogelkop bowerbird, and king bird-of-paradise.

Road building, illegal logging, commercial farming, and ranching could harm these forests. The southeastern coast of the Bird’s Head Peninsula is part of Teluk Cenderawasih National Park.

Government and politics

From 1962 to 1973, the region was called Irian Barat (West Irian). In 1973, it was renamed Irian Jaya (meaning "Glorious Irian"), and in 2002, it became known as Papua, with its capital in Jayapura. During a time of change in Indonesia, the government started giving more control to local areas. In December 2001, Papua received special autonomy status. This meant that 80% of the taxes collected in the region were used to help develop it, along with extra funds just for Papua.

In 2003, a new area called West Papua was created, with its capital in Manokwari. It included parts of the Bird's Head Peninsula and nearby islands. The rest of Western New Guinea stayed in Papua. Both areas were given special autonomy by Indonesian legislation. Plans to create a third area called Central Irian Jaya were stopped because of protests and later ruled unlawful.

In November 2022, three new areas were made from parts of Papua: Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua. Another new area, Southwest Papua, was created from part of West Papua. All these areas share the same special autonomy status as the remaining parts of West Papua and Papua.

Current government

Further information: List of regencies and cities in Indonesia

Demographics

The population of Western New Guinea was around 5.6 million in mid-2022. Most people in the interior are ethnic Papuans, while coastal towns have people from mixes of Papuans, Melanesians, Austronesians, and other Indonesian groups. Migrants from other parts of Indonesia also live along the coast. The biggest cities are Jayapura in the northeast and Sorong in the northwest of the Bird's Head Peninsula. Jayapura has over 400,000 people, and Sorong has nearly 300,000. Other large towns include Timika, Nabire, Merauke, and Manokwari.

Western New Guinea is home to about 312 tribes, including some groups that have never had much contact with the outside world. There are many different languages spoken here, with estimates ranging from 200 to 700. Most people practice Christianity, though many also follow traditional beliefs. There are also many migrants from other parts of Indonesia, some coming through government programs and others moving for work opportunities.

Economy

Papua is one of Indonesia's poorer regions, even though it is rich in natural resources like minerals, forests, and fish. The main source of money comes from mining, especially from the very big Grasberg Mine, which makes lots of gold and copper. However, other parts of the economy, like farming, building, and trade, are also growing.

Even though mining is very important, other areas like farming and services are becoming more important too. This helps make sure that the whole region can grow stronger and better for everyone.

Infrastructure

Compared to other parts of Indonesia, the infrastructure in Papua is among the least developed, mainly because it is far from the country's main city, Jakarta. However, the government has been working hard to build and improve infrastructure there. These efforts aim to make life better for people and help the area grow.

One big focus is on making sure people have electricity and clean water. Many places in Papua didn’t used to have electricity, but programs are helping more villages get power, especially in areas that are hard to reach. Clean water is also a big issue, and the government is building new water systems to help.

Transportation is another important area. Roads are being built to connect different parts of Papua, and there are plans for a railway and even a special train system in the main city, Jayapura. Air travel is very important because many places are hard to reach by road, and there are many airports, with Sentani International Airport being the largest. There are also ports for ships to help move people and goods.

Healthcare and education are also getting attention. There are hospitals and clinics, though many are in bigger towns, leaving smaller areas with less care. Schools and universities are helping young people learn, with the biggest university being Cenderawasih University in Jayapura.

Culture

Papuans share many cultural ties with people from Papua New Guinea. Like in Papua New Guinea, highland communities have traditions and languages that differ from coastal areas. Coastal Papuans often eat sago as a main food, a habit they share with many people in Eastern Indonesia. In the highlands, where sago doesn't grow, foods like tubers, sweet potato, and taro are more common.

Cuisine

Traditional Papuan meals often include roasted boar served with tubers like sweet potato. Sago is a staple food in Papua and eastern Indonesia, unlike in central and western Indonesia, where rice is more common. Sago can be made into pancakes or a dish called papeda, usually paired with a yellow soup made from tuna, red snapper, and spices like turmeric and lime.

On the coast, seafood is a key part of meals. A popular dish is fish wrap (Indonesian: ikan bungkus), made with sea fish, especially milkfish, wrapped in banana leaves with spices such as chilies, bay leaves, tomatoes, galangal, and lemongrass.

Papuan snacks often use sago. One example is kue bagea, a round, creamy cake from Ternate in North Maluku that can also be found in Papua. It is made from sago starch and can be softened in tea or water. Sagu Lempeng is another snack, made from processed sago baked into plate-like shapes. Sago porridge is a common dish, usually served with yellow soup made from mackerel or tuna, and sometimes with boiled cassava or sweet potato. In coastal areas, sago worms are eaten as a snack, either fresh or cooked and made into satay.

Foreign journalism

The Indonesian government is very careful about letting foreign journalists visit Western New Guinea because of concerns about separatist movements. They want to control the information that leaves the region, similar to what happened in East Timor. Even though there is no outright ban, journalists must still ask for permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2012, five out of eleven requests from foreign media to visit Papua were approved, while six were turned down. The next year, in 2013, twenty-one out of twenty-eight requests were approved. The rules became easier in 2015 when the president officially allowed foreign journalists to enter Papua, saying it should be treated like any other part of Indonesia. However, foreign journalists still need to apply for permission through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.