Papua New Guinea Independence Day celebrated annually on September 16. It was on this day in 1975 that the country declared its independence from Australia.
The first people appeared on the territory of Papua New Guinea about 50 thousand years ago. At that time, the island was united with Australia. At the time of its discovery by the Spanish navigator Jorge Menezes, it was inhabited by Papuans and Melanesians who were engaged in fishing and agriculture. Active development of the territory began in the 19th century. Among the famous personalities who visited it was the traveler of Ukrainian origin Mykluho-Maklai.
The island was under the jurisdiction of Australia from 1884 to 1975. Today, this state is part of the British Commonwealth, so the form of government is a constitutional monarchy headed by Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by the Governor-General.
Interesting Facts
The country is located on more than 6 hundred islands.
Agriculture is developed here, including coffee and cocoa.
The bird of paradise depicted on the country’s coat of arms is one of Papua New Guinea’s endemics. In total, about 800 species of birds live here.
Most of the country’s land is very wet, which causes problems in construction.
