Papua New Guinea Capital

The Papua New Guinea Capital is Port Moresby.

 

The Papua New Guinea city of Port Moresby is the largest city of Papua New Guinea and is located in the Gulf of Papua.  The gulf is plainly seen in the above picture of the port.

The area was originally inhabited by the indigenous tribes known as the Motu and the Koitabu people.  They were fishermen and yam farmers and traded their commodities all along the coastal waters. Click on the picture to the left for a larger view, where you can see the red square designating the capital.

The Motuans are the native peoples of this area.  They speak the Motu language, which is an Austronesian language; and only one of 800 languages spoken by the inhabitants of Papua New Guinea.  Motuan villages are found northwest of the capital; the largest one is Hanuabada, (meaning big village) with a population of 15,000 inhabitants.  An interesting bit of trivia is that Hanuabada is the home village of many of Papua New Guinea’s expert cricket players.

The first movie below gives a picture of where the country and its people are headed in the globalized world in which they are found.  The movie deals with women’s challenges in the 21st century market place in Port Moresby.

After years of isolation due to geographic location, Papua New Guinea is beginning to come of age, many cultural changes taking place.   However, when there are great cultural upheavals, there are issues and consequences to face.  Some of the main issues are crime and violence, and preserving tribal cultures amidst modernity.  Security is a main concern for women who are trying to survive amidst male crime and violence where they are working.

The second movie is more positive and shows the beauty and potential of Papua New Guinea.  Port Moresby is a modern city with indigenous art and cultural influences.  A notable cultural attribute is that they drive on the left side of the roads instead of the right side.  This is a left-over British colonial influence.

The capital is named after the explorer Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby and was annexed by the British in 1883.  It became the capital of Papua New Guinea when the country gained its independence in 1975.  The city has a University of Papua New Guinea, National Botanical Gardens, an international airport, and shipping services.  An interesting fact about this South Pacific city is that, among its diversity is a large community of Chinese. (2004 census)

Enjoy the sing sing cultural festival, complete with music and indigenous people’s participation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFS0VX8oCXU

Papua New Guinea is but one of the unique countries that make up the island cultures of the Oceania Global Village.  This lesson will further introduce you to other countries, which make up this Global Village.  You may also be inspired to research on your own, or perhaps even to travel to the many beautiful locations in this community of island cultures.