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| Papua New Guinea History |
| Papua New Guinea Culture |
| Papua New Guinea Weather |
| Papua New Guinea When to go |
| Papua New Guinea Food |
| Papua New Guinea Information |
Papua is derived from pepuah, a Malay word for "frizzy Melanesian hair." New Guinea, on the other hand, was a name Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez coined. He noted the people's resemblance to the residents of Guinea along the African coast.
Inhabitation of Papua New Guinea is among one of the world's earliest. The ancient inhabitants are believed to have originated in Africa and have come from Southeast Asia before settling in Papua New Guinea some 50,000 to 70,000 years ago.
Southeast Asian traders began visiting Papua New Guinea at about 5,000 years ago. The Spanish and the Portuguese encountered the country as early as the 16th century.
Germans conquered the country's northern half in 1884 and turned it into German New Guinea. During the First World War, the nation was occupied by Australia and placed it under the administration of the British New Guinea. In 1904, the southern part gained its name, Papua.
After World War II, Papua and New Guinea combined into Papua New Guinea. The country gained its independence from Australia in September 16, 1975, and the two countries remain in close contact.