Papua New Guinea [ Papua Niugini ] is a raw land, remarkably untamed and as variegated as swamp and jagged limestone, mud and moss forest, intense heat and Highland chill, plumed, pearl-shelled villagers and prosaic hill people, tiny tree kangaroos and enormous Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterflies. It is this diversity that has, for so long, excited a raft of explorers, anthropologists and travellers. - Population: 4.5 million - People: 95% Melanesian, 5% Polynesian, Micronesian, Chinese - Official languages: English, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu - 750 indigenous languages plus Pidgin - Religion: Religions: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%, indigenous beliefs 34%
- Industries: Coffee, copper, gold, silver, copra crushing, palm oil processing, logging - Major trading partners: Australia, Japan, USA

Melanesians first had regular contact with Europeans (including Australians and Americans) in the early 1800s, when whaling began in the area, followed by trading. In other areas of the Pacific, Europeans learned the local language to carry on trading, but they couldn't do so in Melanesia because of the large number of languages. So they tried to use simplified English and a lot of mime. As a result, many Melanesians picked up a bit of English -- but because of their limited exposure,they learned mainly vocabulary and not grammatical rules. Their versions of English were highly influenced by their own first languages and simpler in comparison. With continued use, norms began to emerge and a stable pidgin language started to develop. Today, Melanesian Pidgin is spoken in different forms in each of these countries. It is known as Tok Pisin in Papua New Guinea, Bislama in Vanuatu, and Pijin in Solomon Islands. Today Tok Pisin is the lingua franca of the entire country of Papua New Guinea, known by an estimated three quarters of the country's four million inhabitants and is the most widely used language of urban areas. Although English is more widely used for government business,

PROVINCES : | WESTERN | GULF | NATIONAL CAPITAL DISTRICT | CENTRAL | MILNE BAY | ORO |MOROBE | MADANG | EAST SEPIK | SANDAUN | SOUTHERN HIGHANDS |WESTERN HIGHLANDS | EASTERN HIGHLANDS | SIMBU | ENGA | MANUS | NEW IRELAND |