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Papua (province)

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Map showing Papua province in Indonesia

Papua is a province of Indonesia comprising part of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands (see also Western New Guinea). (The name Papua has had a somewhat confusing history: for details see the discussion under New Guinea). The name West Papua is preferred among nationalists who hope to separate from Indonesia and form their own country (the region was promised a referendum on independence from the Netherlands). The province was known as West Irian or Irian Barat from 1969 to 1973—Irian is the Indonesian term for the island of New Guinea. It was then renamed Irian Jaya (roughly translated, "Victorious Irian") by Suharto, a name that remained in official use until 2002. During the colonial era the region was known as Dutch New Guinea or Netherlands New Guinea.

Church in Kuala Kencana

The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea, but in 2003, the western portion of the province, on the Bird's Head Peninsula, was made a separate province named West Irian Jaya.

Government

The nature of Indonesian government in Papua is controversial. International opinion varies a great deal. Some view it as naked colonialism, others maintain that Indonesia represents a legitimate authority with a willing people. Frank expression of views is complicated by the delicate and troubled relationship many nations have with Indonesia. The Free Papua Movement strives for independence of the area from Indonesia.

According to the United States Country Studies - Library of Congress report about Indonesian government structure:

"Since independence the nation has been centrally governed from Jakarta in a system in which the lines of authority, budget, and personnel appointment run outward and downward. Regional and local governments enjoy little autonomy. Their role is largely administrative: implementing policies, rules, and regulations. Regional officialdom is an extension of the Jakarta bureaucracy. The political goal is to maintain the command framework of the unitary state, even at the cost of developmental efficiency. Governments below the national level, therefore, serve essentially as subordinate administrative units through which the functional activities of Jakarta-based departments and agencies reach out into the country."

In 1999 it was proposed to split the province into three government-controlled sectors, sparking Papuan protests (see external article). In January 2003 President Megawati Sukarnoputri signed an order dividing Papua into three provinces: Central Irian Jaya (Irian Jaya Tengah), Papua (or East Irian Jaya, Irian Jaya Timur), and West Irian Jaya (Irian Jaya Barat). The formality of installing a local government for Jaraka in Irian Jaya Barat (West) took place in February 2003 and a governor was appointed in November; a government for Irian Jaya Tengah (central) was delayed from August 2003 due to violent local protests. The creation of this separate central province was blocked by Indonesian courts, who declared it to be unconstitutional and in contravention of the Papua's special autonomy agreement. The previous division into two provinces was allowed to stand as an established fact. (King, 2004, p. 91)

Regions

File:Papua, Indonesian province.JPG
Map showing major Papuan cities

Indonesia structures regions by regencies and subdistricts within those. Though names and areas of control of these regional structures can vary over time in accord with changing political and other requirements, in 2001 the Irian Jaya (Papua) Province consisted of 12 regencies (kabupaten), 1 city (kotamadya), 117 subdistricts (kecamatan), 66 kelurahan, and 830 villages (desa).

The regencies ("kabupaten") in 2002 were: Sorong; Manokwari; Fakfak; Mimika; Yapen-Waropen; Biak-Numfor; Nabire; Puncak Jaya; Paniai; Jayawijaya; Merauke; and Jayapura. In addition to these, the cities Sorong and Jayapura also have the status of a regency. See main article Indonesian Regencies of Papua for further details.

Hollandia, founded on 7 March 1910, had by 1962 developed into a city with modern civil, educational, and medical services. Since Indonesian administration these services have been replaced by Indonesian equivalents such as the TNI (the army) replacing the Papua Batallion. The name of the city has been changed from Hollandia to Kotabaru, then to Sukarnopura and finally to Jayapura. Papuans now like to call it Port Numbai, the name of the place before the arrival of foreigners.

Jayapura is the largest city, boasting a small but active tourism industry, it is built on a slope overlooking the bay. Cendrawasih University or Uncen campus at Abepura houses the University Museum. Both Tanjung Ria beach, near the market at Hamadi—site of the 22 April 1944 Allied invasion during World War II—and the site of General Douglas MacArthur's World War II headquarters at Ifar Gunung have monuments commemorating the events.

Geography

Land Area
Area420,540 km2
Climate
Rainfall1800 to 3000 mm
Temperature19 to 28 °C
Humidity80%

A central East-West mountain range dominates the geography of New Guinea, over 1600 km in total length. The western section is around 600 km long and 100 km across. Steep mountains 3000 to 4000 m and up to 5000 m high along the range ensures a steady supply of rain from the tropical atmosphere. The tree line is around 4000 m elevation and the tallest peaks are snowbound year round.

Both North and West of the central ranges the land remains mountainous mostly 1000 to 2000 m high covered by thick rain forest and a warm humid year round climate.

The third major habitat feature is the south east lowlands with extensive wetlands stretching for hundreds of kilometers.

The Mamberamo river, sometimes referred to as the "Amazon of Papua" is the province's largest river which winds through the northern part of the province. The result is a large area of lakes and rivers known as the Lakes Plains region. The famous Baliem Valley, home of the Dani people is a tableland 1600 m above sea level in the midst of the central mountain range; Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) is a mist covered limestone mountain peak 4884 m above sea level.

Tribal groupings in Papua

Ecology

A vital tropical rainforest with the tallest tropical trees and vast biodiversity, Papua's known forest fauna includes marsupials (including possums, wallabies, tree kangaroos, cuscus), other mammals (including the endangered long-beaked echidna), many bird species (including birds of paradise, casuarius, parrots, cockatoos), the world's longest lizards (Papua monitor) and the world's largest butterflies.

Animal ClassEst. Number
Mammal180
Marsupial70
Bird700
endemic bird450
Bats70

The island has an estimated 16,000 species of plant, 124 genera of which are endemic.

The extensive waterways and wetlands of Papua are also home to salt and freshwater crocodile, tree monitors, flying foxes, osprey, bats and other animals; while the equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored.

Ecological dangers include deforestation, the spread of the exotic Crab-eating Macaque, which competes with indigenous species, and toxic water pollution leaching into rivers from the copper and gold tailings piles produced during mining operations.

See also

Ecology

References

  • King, Peter, West Papua Since Suharto: Independence, Autonomy, or Chaos?. University of New South Wales Press, 2004, ISBN 0868406767.


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