From: John MacDougall <apakabar@clark.net>
Received: (from apakabar@localhost) by explorer2.clark.net (8.7.1/8.7.1) id VAA22616 for reg.indonesia@conf.igc.apc.org; Sat, 14 Sep 1996 21:30:59 -0400 (EDT)
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NEW GUINEA
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NEW GUINEA, the second largest island in the world (next to
Greenland), located north of Australia, in the western Pacific Ocean
(see Map 1). Its area is about 313,000 square miles (810,000 sq km),
and in 1994 its population was estimated to be 4,440,000.
Administratively, it is divided between two countries: its western
half is part of Indonesia, and its eastern half forms the major
portion, known as the mainland, of Papua New Guinea. The Indonesian
half of the island is called Irian Jaya (formerly West Irian or
Netherlands New Guinea). Including a number of nearby islets, it has
an area of 162,927 square miles (421,981 sq km). It was part of the
Netherlands East Indies and remained under Dutch rule until 1962. The
Papua New Guinean half of the island has an area of about 157,000
square miles (406,600 sq km). It is by far the largest of Papua New
Guinea's island areas, which also include the Bismarck Archipelago,
Bougainville and Buka in the Solomon Islands, and other small islands
and archipelagos adjacent to eastern New Guinea. This section of New
Guinea was formerly under Australian rule. It consisted of
northeastern New Guinea, and the nearby islands, which formed the
Australian-administered UN Trust Territory of New Guinea, with an area
of 92,160 square miles (238, 693 sq km); and southeastern New Guinea
and the nearby islands, which formed the Australian-owned Territory of
Papua, with an area of 86, 100 square miles (222,998 sq km). In 1975
the two territories, already administered together, became independent
Papua New Guinea.
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MAP 1. NEW GUINEA. LOCATOR.
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The island of New Guinea has been compared in shape to a large bird
hovering over Australia, and its west end is called the Vogelkop, or
``Bird's Head.'' The island is about 1,500 miles (2,400 km) long and
500 miles (800 km) wide at the center, with a total land area of
314,000 square miles (813,260 sq km). A massive mountain system
traverses the island. The highest peaks are Jaya Peak (formerly Mt.
Carstensz), 16,503 feet (5,030 meters), and Trikora Peak (formerly Mt.
Wilhelmina), 15,584 feet (4,750 meters), in the Sudirman and
Djajawidjaja mountains of Irian Jaya. Other peaks rise well over
13,000 feet (4, 000 meters) in the Bismarck and Owen Stanley ranges in
Papua New Guinea. Although they stand within 350 miles (560 km) of the
equator, the tallest mountains are snow-capped. There is a wide
variety of minerals in the area, including gold, oil, copper, and
nickel.
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North and south of the mountain backbone, particularly in the center
of the island, are vast low swampy plains drained by huge rivers such
as the Fly, Digoel, Purari, Sepik, Mamberamo, Kikori, and Ramu.
Draining the southeastern interior the Fly is navigable by steam
launches for 500 miles (800 km), while other rivers can be followed
far inland by smaller craft.
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New Guinea's climate is generally hot and humid in the lower
altitudes, with little seasonal change. Rainfall varies according to
the direction of mountains and monsoon wind changes. Most of New
Guinea is densely forested, with tropical rain forest in lower
elevations, and pines, moss forests, and alpine vegetation in
intermediate and higher elevations. Some of the elevated interior
valleys have extensive grasslands with only a few trees, the result of
centuries of burning of the original forest by the indigenous people
to make room for gardens and settlements and to flush out wild game.
Parts of the coastline are fringed with mangrove swamps, and in New
Britain, New Ireland, and the mainland coast of Papua New Guinea are
coconut plantations. New Guinea has valuable hardwoods and large pine
stands, but they are often inaccessible.
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There are few mammals on the island other than rats, bats, and
marsupials such as the kangaroo, wallaby, and bandicoot, and wild pigs
and dogs. Reptiles, such as crocodiles, snakes (pythons and poisonous
types), and lizards, are numerous. The bird life is extraordinarily
rich and varied; among the most interesting types are the gorgeously
plumed bird of paradise, the ostrich-like cassowary, the brightly hued
parrots and cockatoos, and the curious bower birds. Fish, shellfish,
and marine mammals abound in coastal waters.
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The indigenous New Guinea peoples are broadly counted as Melanesians.
They fall into three main racial types: minor Negritoid dark-skinned
people of pigmy size), who are found in the western interior; Papuans,
with prominent fleshy noses and curly to frizzly hair, found
especially in the western, central, and southern zones; and
Melanesians, with Negroid features, found more in the north and east
and in offshore islands. Staple foods are taros, sweet potatoes, yams,
sago, manioc, bananas, fish, and game.
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The name Nueva Guinea (New Guinea) was applied to the island of Y=F1
Ortes de Retes, a Spaniard, who, in exploring the north coast in 1545,
was struck by its similarity to the Guinea coast in West Africa.
Portuguese explorer Jorge de Meneses in 1526 had called the island
``Ilhas dos Papuas'' (Island of the Papuan People), and in 1528 the
Spaniard Alvaro de Saavedra, finding traces of gold, called it ``Isla
del Oro'' (Island of Gold). At that time Malay traders, especially
from the Moluccas, were already frequenting the New Guinea coast; and
the Sultan of Tidore considered it part of his domain. In 1714 the
Netherlands took control of western New Guinea by virtue of Dutch
treaty relations with the sultan. The eastern sections were annexed in
1884 by Great Britain and Germany.
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Irian Jaya.
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As part of the Netherland East Indies centered on Java, West New
Guinea was remote and only partially explored. Its main centers were
Merauke, on the south coast, and Manokwari, on the Vogelkop. Although
the native Papuans had long traded bird of paradise feathers and other
items with visiting Malays, Dutch attempts to develop the territory' s
commerce and agriculture proved unsuccessful. Just before World War II
oil was discovered in the Vogelkop area, but its exploitation was
abruptly halted by the Japanese invasion in 1942. Hollandia (now
Jayapura), on the north coast, was a target of Allied operations
against Japan and after its recapture became a base for Allied
operations.
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In the Dutch-Indonesian accords that created the new state of
Indonesia in 1949, the future of New Guinea was left for later
negotiation. Indonesia, calling it West Irian, pressed its claim to
the territory at the United Nations; but the Netherlands insisted upon
guarantees of self-determination for the Papuans. The Dutch
accelerated the economic and political development of the territory
and sought creation of a UN trusteeship as a step toward independence
for the Papuans. Despite vigorous Indonesian opposition, the Dutch in
1960 established a governing council with an elected majority, and
elections took place in 1961. Clashes between Indonesian and Dutch
forces in 1961 and 1962 amounted to undeclared war. Ensuing
negotiations led to an agreement, signed Aug. 16, 1962, by which West
Irian would be transferred to Indonesian administration on May 1,
1963, with a UN administration in the interim. Indonesia pledged to
hold a plebiscite before the end of 1969 to determine the future
status of West Irian.
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As the date for the plebiscite neared, the so-called Free Papuan
Movement began to agitate for West Irian's independence, and terrorist
factions clashed with Indonesian troops. Dissent increased when
Indonesia, citing the widely scattered population and often primitive
level of existence in West Irian, renounced the idea of a one-man,
one-vote plebiscite. Instead, in the summer of 1969, some 1,000 tribal
chiefs and urban residents were convened into regional consultative
assemblies said to represent the entire population. Using the Javanese
concept of musjawarah (group discussion aimed at reaching a
consensus), these delegates agreed that West Irian would remain part
of Indonesia. West Irian was renamed Irian Jaya in 1973.
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Economic growth has been slow because of a lack of funds. Irian Jaya'
s exports consist mainly of crude oil, nutmeg, copra, crocodile skins,
copal, shell, and mace. Except for oil, all are products of small-
scale enterprise.
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In 1980 there were 1,173,900 persons in Irian Jaya, including small
minorities of Malays, Chinese, and Europeans. The capital, Jayapura,
had 149,618 inhabitants.
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Papua New Guinea.
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Eastern New Guinea and the adjacent islands became independent as
Papua New Guinea in 1975, after more than 90 years of foreign rule.
Its capital is Port Moresby, on the southeastern New Guinea coast.
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Colonial rule was first established in the area in 1884, when, at the
request of the Australian colonies, Great Britain claimed southeastern
New Guinea and the adjacent islands, which became British New Guinea.
In the same year Germany claimed northeastern New Guinea and the
adjacent islands, which became German New Guinea. British New Guinea
was transferred to Australia in 1906 and renamed the Territory of
Papua. German New Guinea was occupied by Australian troops in 1914, at
the start of World War I; after the war it was renamed the Territory
of New Guinea and administered by Australia under a League of Nations
mandate. During World War II much of eastern New Guinea and many of
the islands were occupied by the Japanese, and major battles were
fought throughout the region between Japanese and Allied forces. After
the war the Territory of New Guinea remained under Australian
administration, but as a UN trust territory. In 1949 Australia
combined the administrative units as the Territory of Papua and New
Guinea. This union, renamed Papua New Guinea in 1971, became
internally self-governing on Dec. 1, 1973, and on Sept. 16, 1975, it
became independent. The rate of population growth is among the world's
highest. Pop. (est. 1991), 4,120,000. (See also Papua New Guinea.)
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Keesing, Felix M., NEW GUINEA., Vol. 17, Colliers Encyclopedia CD-ROM,
02-28-1996.