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10 Cool Facts About Papua New Guinea
1.
Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, just north of Australia, and many outlying islands.
2.
3.
The first inhabitants of the island New Guinea were Papuan, Melanesian, and Negrito tribes, who altogether spoke more than 700 distinct languages.
Papua New Guinea is one of the least explored nations on earth.
4.
Butterflies of Papua New Guinea are world famous for their size and vivid coloring.
5.
New Guinea was first sighted by Spanish and Portuguese sailors in the early 16th century and was known prophetically as Isla del Oro (Island of Gold)..
6.
The world’s only known poisonous bird, the Hooded Pitohui is native to Papua New Guinea.
7.
Even until the 1950’s cannibalism and headhunting were rampant in PNG.
8.
Until 1933 Papua New Guinea used sea-shells as its national currency.
9.
It is one of the largest islands in the world.
10.
Papua New Guinea is part of the Ring of Fire, a zone where frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions take place.
Papua New Guinea Butterfly
PNG Jungle Coast
