Papua New Guinea — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Papua New Guinea: capital Port Moresby, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Papua New Guinea is in Oceania. Its capital is Port Moresby.

Climate

Tropical; northwest monsoon from December to March; southeast monsoon from May to October

Mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills; dense tropical rainforest

Papua New Guinea has over 800 languages - most linguistically diverse country.

PNG is home to the world's largest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra's birdwing, with a wingspan up to 31 cm.

Many remote highland tribes in PNG had no contact with the outside world until the 1930s.

1526: Portuguese explorer Jorge de Meneses becomes the first European to sight the island

1884: Germany and Britain divide the island into colonial territories

1942: Japanese invasion leads to fierce fighting along the Kokoda Track in WWII

1975: Independence from Australia under Michael Somare

1989: Bougainville Crisis begins over copper mine environmental damage

2019: Bougainville votes overwhelmingly for independence in non-binding referendum