Category Archives: Papua New Guinea

Anyone familiar with the rugged, jungle-clad terrain and dearth of infrastructure across Papua New Guinea will be horrified by the news of the recent rise of Covid-19 cases in the country (e.g. Covid Cases Triple). The very remoteness of tribal territories that helped keep the epidemic at bay until now also complicates the delivery of […]

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Papua New Guinea is a remote and rugged country that was untouched by foreign influences for a very long time. Its jungle-clad mountains and wild river valleys are home to one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the world. For a long time, outsiders thought the Highlands region was unpopulated, and international […]

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The annual Mount Hagen Sing Sing brings out a mind-boggling array of unique tribal dance troupes. Papua New Guinea has to be one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world! Although there are just over 7 million people (July 2020 est.) living on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and […]

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The grassy fields outside the Mt Hagen Showgrounds were dotted with clumps of people gathered around jars of body paint and suitcases full of precious feathers. In the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea, the annual Mt Hagen Cultural Show was soon to start, and tribal performers from all over the neighbouring Highlands provinces – […]

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In communities without a written language, culture is passed down through the oral traditions of art, story-telling, music, and dance. Even architecture and weaponry can signify meaning. In Papua New Guinea, there are more than more than 850 discrete spoken languages, and until recently, none of them were written down. Even today, adult literacy sits […]

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