General Information
Papua New Guinea has more than 600 islands and is home to more than 10 million people. The capital city, Port Moresby, is on the southern coast of the mainland. The national currency is the kina (kee-nah), divided into 100 toea (toy-ah). There are two major English daily newspapers: the Post-Courier and The National. Up-to-date currency values can be found in the business pages of these daily papers, at your hotel or at any one of the banking houses in the CBD. There are two national free-to-air television Papua New Guinea makes up the eastern side of New Guinea in the southwest Pacific Ocean, sharing its western border with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya (also known as West Papua).
Bougainville dance group, Port Moresby Photo: Margo Nugent
channels, EMTV and NBC. Most hotels provide more channels via cable or satellite television in guest rooms. Banks are open between 9am and 3pm for foreign currency exchange and general banking. Traveller’s cheques and international credit cards are accepted at all major hotels and restaurants, however it is wise to call ahead and check. All except the most remote areas of Papua New Guinea have landline and mobile phone access, and you will find a full list of international area codes in the front pages of PNG’s telephone directory (available at any post office, hotel or business). PNG has two distinct seasons, the wet season (December
to April) and the dry season (May to November). Because of the country’s dramatic geography, different areas of Papua New Guinea experience the change in seasons at different times of the year. Temperatures range from as low as 14ºC in the Highlands region to 36ºC in northern coastal areas. Water temperature in all coastal areas remains between 26º and 28ºC all year round. The entire country operates on West Pacific Standard Time (GMT +10:00) and daylight-saving time does not apply. Papua New Guineans have a richly-diverse cultural heritage. With almost 800 spoken languages and 600 different tribes throughout the country, cultures
and traditions vary greatly between people of different areas and regions. The majority of Papua New Guineans are Melanesian, however there are also many nationals and residents who have settled in PNG from other countries, including China, Malaysia, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand and nearby Pacific nations. Melanesian people are modest by nature; please respect the local culture and dress conservatively. In public, avoid low, plunging necklines, shorts or skirts with very high hemlines, and avoid exposing your midriff. Topless sunbathing, overly- risqué swimwear or any kind of nudity in public areas is strongly discouraged.
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