are the primary administrative divisions of the country. Provincial governments are branches of the national government–
s. The country has 20 province-level divisions: 18 provinces, one autonomous region (
Parliament has approved the creation of two additional provinces by 2012: Hela Province, which will consist of part of the current Southern Highlands Province, and Jiwaka Province, which will be formed by dividing Western Highlands Province.
Immediately before independence on 16 September 1975, Papua New Guinea was divided into nineteen provinces and the National Capital District. These provinces corresponded to the "Districts" of the pre-Independence administration of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.
It had been considered that an independent state with limited resources could ill afford the infrastructure of a two-level quasi-federal governmental structure.
movement in Bougainville, whose Bougainville Copper Mine provided the largest single source of foreign exchange and whose contribution to the general revenue was crucial to the independent state's economic viability, forced the issue. The Bougainville secession movement declared the Republic of North Solomons on 1 September 1975 and the central government very quickly responded by offering provincial status to Bougainville. For the sake of consistency, as there were or had been regional separatist movements in Papua and East New Britain, provincial status was offered to the other 18 Districts as well.
Bougainville continues to be a special case. A renewed secession movement emerged in 1988 and resulted in a violent military campaign on the island, the closing of the Bougainville Copper Mine with serious financial consequences for the central government, the destruction or running-down of most infrastructure on the island and, ultimately, the total quarantining of the province for a decade. The
of 1997 was a political scandal that became one of the defining moments in the history of Papua New Guinea, and particularly that of the conflict in Bougainville.
The Bougainville secessionists came to terms with the central government in 1997. A constitution was drafted for a more autonomous regional polity within Papua New Guinea with its own president and provisions for a referendum on total autonomy in due course.
The provinces had elected provincial assemblies and cabinets led by premiers; however, the State remained legislative, not federal. Unlike Canada, Australia and the United States, whose federal governments are creatures of the provinces or states, but as with the provinces and states of Pakistan and India, the provinces are creatures of the central government and can be suspended by it or have their boundaries changed. Indeed there have been suspensions of several provincial governments to address corruption or incompetence by elected provincial governments. Changes in the boundaries of those provinces which are adjacent to the former boundary between the Territories of Papua and New Guinea can cause special complications in the administration of statutes which apply in Papua or New Guinea but not both.
Ultimately in June 1995 in an effort to re-assert a measure of control by the central government over the often wayward provinces in an environment of limited numbers of personnel qualified for public office in many of the provinces, the office of provincial premier was abolished and the Regional (at-large) members of Parliament became provincial governors, while retaining their national seats in Parliament.
Several of the provincial governments have announced changes to the names of their provinces, with Bougainville becoming North Solomons, Western becoming Fly River, Chimbu becoming Simbu, Northern becoming Oro and West Sepik becoming Sandaun. The changes have been accorded popular acceptance but they remain unofficial, as the provinces are creatures of the Constitution and official changes of name would require amendments to the Constitution using the prescribed amending formula.
By 2012, two new provinces will emerge: Hela Province will be split from Southern Highlands Province, and Jiwaka Province from Western Highlands Province.
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(map) |
Province |
Capital |
Area
(km²) |
Population |
Density
(pop/km²) |
Region The four regions of Papua New Guinea are its broadest scale administrative divisions. While the twenty province-level divisions are the primary administrative divisions of the country, the regions are quite significant in daily life, as they are often the basis for organisation of government...
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| 1 |
Central |
Port MoresbyPort Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
|
29,500 |
183,153 |
6.21 |
Papua Region Papua Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. The region includes the national capital Port Moresby.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into six provinces:* Central Province* Gulf Province* Milne Bay Province...
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| 2 |
Simbu (Chimbu) Simbu, also known as Chimbu, is a Highlands Region province in Papua New Guinea. The province has an area of 6,100 km² and a population of 259,703 . The capital of the province is Kundiawa...
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Kundiawa Kundiawa is the capital of Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea, with a population of 8,147 . It lies along the Highlands Highway approximately halfway between Goroka and Mount Hagen, respectively the capitals of the Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands provinces.It is a relatively small town,...
|
6,100 |
258,776 |
42.42 |
Highlands Region -Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into five provinces:* Southern Highlands* Enga Province* Western Highlands* Simbu* Eastern Highlands-See also:* Provinces of Papua New Guinea...
|
| 3 |
Eastern Highlands |
GorokaGoroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 19,000 people , 1600m above sea level. It has an airport and is on the "Highlands Highway", about 285 km from Lae in Morobe province and 90 km from the nearby town of Kainantu also...
|
11,200 |
429,480 |
38.35 |
Highlands Region -Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into five provinces:* Southern Highlands* Enga Province* Western Highlands* Simbu* Eastern Highlands-See also:* Provinces of Papua New Guinea...
|
| 4 |
East New Britain East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, on the north-eastern part of the island of New Britain and it also includes the Duke of York Islands. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely destroyed in the 1994 volcanic eruption...
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KokopoKokopo is the capital of East New Britain in Papua New Guinea. The capital was moved from Rabaul in 1994 when the volcanoes Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted. As a result, the population of the town increased more than sixfold from 3,150 in 1990 to 20,262 in 2000....
|
15,500 |
220,035 |
14.20 |
Islands Region The Islands Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea comprising the Bismarck Archipelago and North Solomon Islands located north-east of the mainland...
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| 5 |
East SepikEast Sepik is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Wewak. East Sepik has an estimated population of 343,180 people and is roughly 42,800 km square in size.-History:...
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WewakWewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
|
42,800 |
341,583 |
7.98 |
Momase Region Momase Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. Its largest city is Lae, the second city of the nation.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into four provinces:* East Sepik* Madang* Morobe* West Sepik -See also:...
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| 6 |
EngaEnga refers to both an ethnic group located in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and the province in which they are the majority ethnic group.-Physical geography:...
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Wabag Wabag is the capital of Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. It is the least populous provincial capital in the country. It is on the Lai River; the Highlands Highway passes through the town, between Mount Hagen and Porgera...
|
12,800 |
289,299 |
22.60 |
Highlands Region -Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into five provinces:* Southern Highlands* Enga Province* Western Highlands* Simbu* Eastern Highlands-See also:* Provinces of Papua New Guinea...
|
| 7 |
Gulf Gulf Province is a province of Papua New Guinea located on the southern coast. The provincial capital is Kerema. The 34,500 km² province is dominated by mountains, lowland river deltas, and grassland flood plains, the Kikori, Turama, Purari and Vailala rivers all meet the sea known as the...
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Kerema Kerema is the capital of Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea. It is located on the coast of Gulf of Papua. The Gulf region is aptly named for its concave coastline with large deltas. The Gulf area is a riparian region where many rivers from the southern slopes of the highlands drain into.-Culture and...
|
34,500 |
105,050 |
3.04 |
Papua Region Papua Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. The region includes the national capital Port Moresby.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into six provinces:* Central Province* Gulf Province* Milne Bay Province...
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| 8 |
MadangMadang is a province on the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea. The province has many of the country's highest peaks, active volcanoes and its biggest mix of languages...
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Madang Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
|
29,000 |
362,085 |
12.49 |
Momase Region Momase Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. Its largest city is Lae, the second city of the nation.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into four provinces:* East Sepik* Madang* Morobe* West Sepik -See also:...
|
| 9 |
ManusManus Province is the smallest province in Papua New Guinea with a land area of 2,100 km², but with more than 220,000 km² of water. The capital of the province is Lorengau and the total population is 43,387 ....
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LorengauLorengau is the major town in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea. The town is located on the edge of Seeadler Harbour on Manus Island, in the Admiralty Islands, and in 2000 Lorengau was recorded to have a population of 5,829....
|
2,100 |
43,589 |
20.76 |
Islands Region The Islands Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea comprising the Bismarck Archipelago and North Solomon Islands located north-east of the mainland...
|
| 10 |
Milne Bay Milne Bay is a province of Papua New Guinea. Its capital is Alotau. The province covers 14,000 km² of land and 252,990 km² of sea, within the province there are more than 600 islands, about 160 of which are inhabited...
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Alotau Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province, a province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern shore of Milne Bay.The town is located within the area in which the invading Japanese army suffered their first land defeat in the Pacific War in 1942, before the Kokoda Track battle. A...
|
14,000 |
209,054 |
14.93 |
Papua Region Papua Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. The region includes the national capital Port Moresby.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into six provinces:* Central Province* Gulf Province* Milne Bay Province...
|
| 11 |
Morobe Morobe Province is a province on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital, and largest city, is Lae. The province covers 34,500 km², including 719 km² maritime area, with a population of 539,725...
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Lae Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
|
34,500 |
536,917 |
15.56 |
Momase Region Momase Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. Its largest city is Lae, the second city of the nation.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into four provinces:* East Sepik* Madang* Morobe* West Sepik -See also:...
|
| 12 |
New Ireland |
Kavieng Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
|
9,600 |
118,148 |
12.31 |
Islands Region The Islands Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea comprising the Bismarck Archipelago and North Solomon Islands located north-east of the mainland...
|
| 13 |
Oro (Northern)Oro Province, formerly Northern Province, is a coastal province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Popondetta. The province covers 22,800 km², and has 133,065 inhabitants ....
|
Popondetta Popondetta is the capital of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea.In 1951 the town became the focus of relief efforts after nearby Mount Lamington erupted and killed 4,000 people....
|
22,800 |
132,714 |
5.82 |
Papua Region Papua Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. The region includes the national capital Port Moresby.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into six provinces:* Central Province* Gulf Province* Milne Bay Province...
|
| 14 |
Autonomous Region of BougainvilleThe Autonomous Region of Bougainville, previously known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. The largest island is Bougainville Island , and the province also includes the island of Buka and assorted outlying islands including the Carterets...
|
Arawa Arawa is the disputed capital and largest settlement in Bougainville Province in Papua New Guinea. The land where Arawa is now situated was previously a large expatriate plantation....
|
9,300 |
175,053 |
15.18 |
Islands Region The Islands Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea comprising the Bismarck Archipelago and North Solomon Islands located north-east of the mainland...
|
| 15 |
Southern Highlands |
Mendi Mendi, Papua New Guinea, is the provincial capital of the Southern Highlands Province....
|
23,800 |
544,352 |
22.87 |
Highlands Region -Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into five provinces:* Southern Highlands* Enga Province* Western Highlands* Simbu* Eastern Highlands-See also:* Provinces of Papua New Guinea...
|
| 16 |
Western (Fly) |
Daru Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is located near the mouth of the Fly River on the western side of the Gulf, just north of Torres Strait and Far North Queensland...
|
99,300 |
152,067 |
1.53 |
Papua Region Papua Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. The region includes the national capital Port Moresby.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into six provinces:* Central Province* Gulf Province* Milne Bay Province...
|
| 17 |
Western Highlands |
Mount HagenMount Hagen is third largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is the capital of the Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainland Papua New Guinea, at an elevation of ....
|
8,500 |
439,085 |
51.66 |
Highlands Region -Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into five provinces:* Southern Highlands* Enga Province* Western Highlands* Simbu* Eastern Highlands-See also:* Provinces of Papua New Guinea...
|
| 18 |
West New Britain West New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea on the islands of New Britain. The provincial capital is Kimbe. The area of the province in 21,000 km², and there are 184,508 inhabitants . West New Britain produces palm oil for export...
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KimbeKimbe is the capital of the province of West New Britain in Papua New Guinea. It is a port town on the great Kimbe Bay which boasts more than 60 percent of the coral species of the entire Indo-Pacific. The bustling town of Kimbe is the third largest port in Papua New Guinea and is the fastest...
|
21,000 |
184,838 |
8.80 |
Islands Region The Islands Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea comprising the Bismarck Archipelago and North Solomon Islands located north-east of the mainland...
|
| 19 |
Sandaun (West Sepik) Sandaun Province, officially West Sepik Province, is the north-westernmost province of Papua New Guinea. It covers an area of 36,300 km² and has a population of 185,741 . The capital is Vanimo...
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VanimoVanimo is the capital of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea. It is located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia.Vanimo is a small township with an economy based around the timber industry. Logging company Vanimo Forest Products, which is owned by Malaysian company Rimbunan Hijau, is...
|
36,300 |
185,790 |
5.12 |
Momase Region Momase Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. Its largest city is Lae, the second city of the nation.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into four provinces:* East Sepik* Madang* Morobe* West Sepik -See also:...
|
| 20 |
National Capital District |
Port MoresbyPort Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
|
240 |
252,469 |
1051.95 |
Papua Region Papua Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. The region includes the national capital Port Moresby.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into six provinces:* Central Province* Gulf Province* Milne Bay Province...
|
On a broader scale, the nation is divided into four regions. These regional groupings are quite significant in daily life, as they are often the basis for organisation of government services, corporate operations, sporting competitions, and even the machinations of politics. For instance, there has been much discussion over the years of how many Prime Ministers have come from each region, and whether a particular region is due to provide the next one. Ministers and departmental heads are often appointed with an eye to maintaining an overall balance between the regions.
People generally identify quite strongly with their region, and inter-region rivalries can be intense. The four regions are: