Papua New Guinea is an island country that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands in Melanesia. It is the second-largest island in the world after Greenland. During the 1800s, the Germans occupied the north, and the British occupied the region’s south. During World War II, the Japanese invaded the island. The two areas merged after the war. Papua New Guinea became an independent country in 1975.
Papua New Guinea is home to more than 700 different ethnic groups. The groups are divided into two categories: Papuan and Melanesian. The majority of the population is Papuan. Numerous uncontacted groups exist in the interior, and researchers believe there are several species of plants and animals that have not been discovered yet. Most of them live on New Guinea. The Melanesian population lives near the coast and on other islands. Tok Pisin, Motu, and English are common languages. The majority of the population is Christian.
Here are some fabulous portraits that show Papua New Guineans in the 1970s.
