Religion in Papua New Guinea
Animistic beliefs are widespread among the indigenous population, especially in the central regions, about 34% of the population are adherents of traditional beliefs. Officially, most of the population are Christians (22% Catholics, 44% Protestants).
Transport in Papua New Guinea
There are no direct flights from Russia to Papua New Guinea, so all flights involve transfers. The most popular flights with transfers in Singapore (flight time – 18 hours). The only international airport in the country is located 8 km from the city center of Port Moresby.
Inside the state, it is most convenient to travel by plane or by sea. The most popular is the air mode of transport, despite the fact that it is the most expensive. Due to impenetrable forests and high mountains, many parts of the island of New Guinea are accessible only by aircraft. In the country, you can even buy an air pass for 30 days. Coastal navigation has been established between the islands. Roads to Papua New Guinea is a bit. The best highways stretched between the northern and mountainous regions of the island of New Guinea. Some remote areas of the island of New Guinea can only be reached by canoe along the rivers. There are taxi services in major cities. It is better to order a taxi in advance from the hotel, as it is very difficult to catch a car in the city. In addition, there are bus routes between the major cities of each district, which are served by Japanese minibuses. Traveling by bus is cheaper than by taxi.
In order to rent a car, you must have an international driver’s license. However, this is quite an expensive pleasure, and many accidents happen on local roads. It is worth recalling that due to the poor quality of roads or their complete absence in some areas, your trip with a rented car will not be long.
Plant and Animal World in Papua New Guinea
Most of the territory of Papua New Guinea is covered with tropical rainforests. In some areas there are steppes (graslands), woodlands, mangrove forests, coastal forests, and in areas with little annual rainfall – deciduous tropical forests. On the mountain slopes in their lower part mixed forests extend, and in the upper part – coniferous forests. About 3,000 species of orchids grow in the local tropical forests, such a variety is not found in any other country in the world.
Of the animals on the territory of the state, there are a tree kangaroo, a wild pig, a wild dog dingo, opossums, echidnas, couscous, marsupial mice, several species of squirrels, rats and bats. In terms of species diversity of birds, Papua New Guinea ranks first in the world. There are about 860 species of birds here. More than 100 species of snakes live on the islands, including pythons, boas and taipan. 2 species of crocodiles have been identified. Also, Papua New Guinea is the birthplace of one of the largest butterflies in the world with a wingspan of 35 cm – the Queen Alexandra sailboat.
Minerals in Papua New Guinea
The country has deposits of oil, copper and gold.
Banks in Papua New Guinea
Banks are open from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 15:00, on Fridays from 9:00 to 16:00 and on Saturday from 8:00 to 12:00.
Money in Papua New Guinea
The official currency of Papua New Guinea is the kina. 1 kina is equal to 100 toe. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2 kinas, as well as coins of 1 kina and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 toe.
Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, bank offices, airports, hotels and shopping malls. Banks charge a commission for the exchange in the amount of 0.2-1% of the amount. You can also exchange currency at private exchange offices, where the most favorable exchange rate is marked and no commission is charged for the exchange.
Major stores, restaurants and hotels accept credit cards and traveler’s checks. ATMs are only in the capital. Traveler’s checks are cashed at bank offices in most major cities. They are best purchased in US dollars, pounds sterling or Australian dollars.
Well: 10 Papua New Guinea kina (PGK) = 2.82 USD
Political State in Papua New Guinea
According to politicsezine, Papua New Guinea is one of the kingdoms of the Commonwealth of Nations. This is an independent state, according to the form of government attributable to a constitutional monarchy. The full name of the country is the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. The official head of state is the British monarch, but the actual head of state is the governor-general, who represents the interests of the British monarch. The Governor-General is elected by the members of Parliament (House of Assembly). The head of government is the prime minister. The cabinet (government) is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. Executive power belongs to the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the unicameral parliament (House of Assembly). The composition of the House of Assembly is formed by popular vote for a period of five years.
Population in Papua New Guinea
The largest ethnic group in Papua New Guinea is the Papua. This people lives mainly in the south and in the central part of New Guinea and makes up 84% of the total population of the state. In the north and east of New Guinea, as well as on the islands, Melanesians mainly live (15% of the country’s population). Also everywhere there are people from Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia.
Language:
The official language of Papua New Guinea is English. It is used in business, education and government circles. Local tribes speak more than 700 languages, and the languages of different tribes can be radically different from each other. The tribes communicate with each other in the Tok Pisin languages (a simplified version of English with admixtures of German, Portuguese and Austronesian languages, the most common language of intertribal communication), Hiri-Motu, Enga, Chimbu (Sambu), Hagen, Kamano and others.
Cuisine in Papua New Guinea
In the cuisine of Papua New Guinea, there are both dishes from the peoples of Oceania and Asian dishes. The main products are root vegetables: taro, sweet potato “kaukau” and yams; cereals: rice and sago; and meat – pork, poultry and game. The national dishes of Papua New Guinea are “mumu” (pork fried in an earthen oven with sweet potatoes, rice and kumu greens), “bugandi” (egg soup), “balli-beef” (fried beef with rice), ” kokoda” (fish in coconut sauce), “col-peace-no-reis” (fish with rice), “hula” (fried crab meat with taro), salads and curries with the plant “abika” (an edible plant of the hibiscus family) are also common.). Sorghum, yams, taro, cassava sago (tapioca) and rice are commonly served as garnishes. During the meal, there are always fried breadfruit, vegetables and herbs on the table. For dessert, you will be offered all kinds of fruits, dia (sago and bananas in coconut cream), kaukau (baked sweet potatoes), saksak (sago patties), talautu (pineapple in coconut cream), pita “pit” (sugar cane stalk boiled in coconut milk with ginger and tomatoes) and pies with fruit fillings.
Of the drinks, local coffee is the most popular. Also in the country they drink muli-vara lemonade and fruit juices. Alcoholic beverages are mainly imported from China, Australia, Philippines, New Zealand and Chile. It is better to order alcohol only in large restaurants, since there are no necessary conditions for storing them in small restaurants and bars.