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🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

Flag of Papua New GuineaNational Flag

Geography & Borders

IndonesiaIndonesia

Introduction & Background

Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; /ˈpæp(j)uə...ˈɡɪni, ˈpɑː-/, also US: /ˈpɑːpwə-, ˈpɑːpjə-, ˈpɑːpə-/;11 Template:Lang-tpi; Template:Lang-ho), officially12 the Independent State of Papua New Guinea (Template:Lang-tpi; Template:Lang-ho), is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands in Melanesia (a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia). Its capital, located along its southeastern coast, is Port Moresby. The country is the world's third largest island country, with an area of 462,840km2 (178,700mi2).13

At the national level, after being ruled by three external powers since 1884, including nearly 60 years of Australian administration starting during World War I, Papua New Guinea established its sovereignty in 1975. It became an independent Commonwealth realm in 1975 with Elizabeth II as its queen. It also became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in its own right.

Key Information
AttributeDetails
Official Name
Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Capital
Port Moresby
Continent
Oceania
Region / Subregion
Oceania / Melanesia
Population
11,781,559
Area
462,840 km²
Languages
English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
Currencies
Papua New Guinean kina (K) [PGK]
Cost of Living
50 / 100 (Moderate)
Price per Coffee
$2.50
Price per Meal
$11.25
Timezones
UTC+11:00 (BST), UTC+10:00 (PGT)
Bounding Box
Min: (10.65° S, 141° E)
Max: (2.5° S, 156.02° E)
Climate
Temperate
Terrain
Vast dry deserts and plains, volcanic islands with rugged mountains, and coral atolls

Geography & Climate

Climate, weather, and air quality data are based on historical records for the coordinates of the capital city, Port Moresby.

Temperature (2025)

15°25°35°
Jan
23.1° / 31.3°
Feb
22.9° / 30.5°
Mar
23° / 30.5°
Apr
22.9° / 29.7°
May
23.1° / 30°
Jun
22.7° / 29.7°
Jul
22.7° / 29.8°
Aug
22.9° / 29.9°
Sep
22.9° / 30.6°
Oct
22.6° / 31.2°
Nov
23° / 30.9°
Dec
22.8° / 30.7°

Precipitation & Snow (2025)

310Jan
325Feb
379Mar
333Apr
224May
104Jun
96Jul
48Aug
145Sep
136Oct
350Nov
333Dec
Rain (mm) Snow (cm)

Atmospheric Pressure (2025)

1005.7-1.6Jan
1006.6-0.7Feb
1006.8-0.5Mar
1007.5+0.2Apr
1007.30May
1008.4+1.1Jun
1008.2+0.9Jul
1009.1+1.8Aug
1008.8+1.5Sep
1007.5+0.2Oct
1006.4-0.9Nov
1005.7-1.6Dec

Thunderstorm Days (2025)

0Jan
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
0Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec

Wind Speed (2025)

Jan
11
Feb
14.1
Mar
10.4
Apr
10.1
May
10.6
Jun
12.7
Jul
13.2
Aug
21.9
Sep
17.7
Oct
14.2
Nov
12.1
Dec
11.2

Air Quality — Monthly Averages (2025)

MetricJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PM2.5 μg/m³8.59.58.79.78.47.69.76.88.29.19.48.5
PM10 μg/m³8.89.79109.38.610.98.49.410.310.29.1
O₃ μg/m³32.325.433.633.431.733.936.437.634.538.435.335.8
NO₂ μg/m³3.93.455.64.53.542.633.13.33.4
SO₂ μg/m³0.40.30.40.40.40.40.50.30.40.50.40.4
CO μg/m³135140119118111102113108128117134132

Pollen Levels — Monthly (2025)

Pollen data is negligible or unavailable for this location.

⛰️ Highest Elevation

Mount Wilhelm
▲
Mount Wilhelm4509 m / 14,793 ft
📷 Unknown

  • Map Locations: Google Maps | OpenStreetMap

People & Society

Total Population10,389,635Density: 22.94 / km²
Annual Growth Rate+1.81%Rapid Growth
Life Expectancy66.13 yrsAverage lifespan at birth
Fertility Rate3.1Births per woman



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