Geography of Papua New Guinea: The Most Interesting Country in the World?

In my opinion, Papua New Guinea is one of the most interesting countries in the world. The country makes up less than 1% of the world's land mass, yet is home to nearly 12% of the world's languages and contains over 5% of the world's plant and animal species. To outsiders, its inhabitants have some of the world's wildest cultural traditions, and no one knows its exact population. It can nearly be double the official amount. These attributes can of course largely be explained by its geography. Take a look at this map by an online user under the name Mutursiking. It's a map displaying the estimated 800 plus distinct languages of Papua New Guinea. One of the most obvious reasons for so many languages is the country's rugged terrain. Notable features are the New Guinea Highlands, which reach as high as 14,000 feet in elevation and run through the country's center. And then there are the Finisterre and Sarawakid ranges in the northeast, with one peak reaching 13,000 feet. Papua New Guinea is also among the world's most forested countries, with around 80% of its land area covered, most of which is dense tropical rainforest. The country also has approximately 600 islands, though most are uninhabited. The isolation caused by the geography has limited interaction between groups, creating distinct communities and allowed languages to develop and evolve independently over thousands of years. Many of these communities maintain a tribal and clan-based society. The exact percentage of Papua New Guinea's population living in tribal clan-based societies is difficult to quantify. However, it is widely recognized that a significant majority of the population lives in rural areas and maintains a lifestyle that is closely tied to traditional tribal and clan systems. Another theory suggests that the relatively consistent conditions of a tropical climate allowed groups to acclimate to their specific elevation levels, leading them to stay put rather than migrate up or down the mountain slopes, thus maintaining their isolation. In many Papuan cultures, it is taboo to speak the names of certain individuals, such as in-laws, priests, or deceased persons. This leads to language changes if, for example, a person's name is inspired by elements of the natural world, such as animals, plants, rivers, or weather phenomena. Since the thing the person was named after can no longer be used, a synonym or new word takes its place, deepening the differences in the country's languages. There are also taboos concerning the mentioning of names of certain plants or animals which may be linked to the beliefs about the natural world and its spirits, such as the southern cassowary, which is often considered the world's most dangerous bird. The bird can grow up to six and a half feet tall and 130 pounds, can slice you open with its sharp claws, and it tends to have territorial behavior, but thankfully, it's usually shy. In some communities, the cassowary is considered a sacred animal. Avoiding the direct mention of the name can be a form of respect towards the animal, acknowledging its powerful presence. There is a belief that mentioning the cassowary directly could attract its attention in a harmful way or disturb its spirit, leading to potential danger or misfortune. By not naming it directly, people hope to live harmoniously without invoking the spirits associated with the cassowary. Certain tribes hold the belief that cassowaries embody the spirits of female ancestors reincarnated, whereas others regard the cassowary as the primal mother. Though not the primary reason for so many Papuan languages, it's also been suggested that some groups may have deliberately changed aspects of their language to distinguish themselves from other tribes. There's also never been a single unifying language in what is now Papua New Guinea. Before colonialism, it did not experience the formation of centralized states or empires that covered large portions of its territory, and while European colonialism is infamous for the destruction of native cultures, it's been argued that the intervention of European colonial powers, such as the Dutch and later the British in the south and Germany in the north, may have unintentionally preserved many of the smaller languages by preventing the rapid expansion of some larger groups. However, a couple of widely used lingua francas have emerged. English, and the most widely used language in Papua New Guinea with around five to six million speakers, Takpisen, or sometimes called New Guinea Pigeon. Takpisen is a Creole language that takes approximately 60 to 70 percent of its vocabulary from English, and also incorporates elements from German, Portuguese, and various indigenous languages of Papua New Guinea. Takpisen, along with English, and Hirimotu are the official languages of Papua New Guinea. Hirimotu is a language native to Papua New Guinea's southeast coast, in and around the country's capital. It has around a hundred thousand speakers today, but unlike most languages in the country, it comes from the Austronesian language family. Hirimotu can also be considered a lingua franca, but its speakers are dropping due to the wider adoption of Takpisen. The importance of maintaining a unique cultural identity has discouraged the adoption of a single unifying language in Papua New Guinea. Instead of promoting the exclusive use of English or Takpisen, parents continue to teach their children local languages. The median number of people who speak each language is estimated at less than 1400, but the truth is no one actually knows. Every language in Papua New Guinea hasn't been studied extensively. It's also not clear how many people actually live in Papua New Guinea. In 2022, Papua New Guinea's official estimate was 11.7 million, with a 3% margin of error, but a UN report was leaked that estimated the country's population was around 17 million. The wide range in numbers, like the high amount of languages, is largely due to geography. The country's terrain is rugged and remote, with many communities spread across mountains, dense forests, and islands. This makes it logistically difficult and expensive to conduct comprehensive surveys and censuses. The cost of reaching remote villages because of the lack of modern infrastructure in rural areas is expensive, not to mention the need for translators, as less than half of Papua New Guinea speak Gua Francas. And as is a common characteristic in many rural areas across the world, there is a stronger distrust of the government in some areas, which may lead to reluctance to participate in government-led initiatives like a census, potentially leading to underreporting or difficulties in data collection. But the estimates may be more accurate when Papua New Guinea conducts a new census. Its last one was complete in 2011. Papua New Guinea's geography has made it not only into an anthropologist and linguist's paradise, but also one for biologists. Papua New Guinea is home to an estimated 13 to 14,000 known plant species, with a significant number of them endemic, thanks to the country's proximity to the equator, sufficient rainfall, and fertile soils derived from volcanic ash. Animal life in Papua New Guinea is equally remarkable. There are over 3,000 animal species in the country and its surrounding waters. Papua New Guinea has over 800 bird species, but it's most famous for its birds of paradise, boasting 38 of the known 42 species. These birds are renowned for their vibrant plumage and elaborate mating dances, and can be seen on the country flag. Papua New Guinea has more than 200 mammal species. Notably, it hosts several species of marsupials, including tree kangaroos. It's also home to the unique echidna, which slays eggs. Papua New Guinea is surrounded with marine life. The surrounding coral reefs are part of the Coral Triangle, also known as the Amazon of the Seas. These reefs support thousands of species of fish, corals, and other marine creatures. The country's waters are home to six of the seven species of marine turtles. Papua New Guinea is also home to nearly nine percent of the world's reptiles and amphibian species. From an outsider's perspective, there are some strange traditions in Papua New Guinea. The Sepik River people undergo a painful scarification process, where their skin is cut and scarred to resemble crocodile scales, symbolizing strength, bravery, and a transition to adulthood. Though rarely practiced today, the Enga people have a unique method of mummifying their dead. The body is dried by placing it over a fire for several weeks or even months. It is then placed in a cliffside cave or rock overhang so that it can watch over the tribe. A practice that Papua New Guinea is well known for is cannibalism. Today, this is rarely practiced, if at all. I think it's also important to note that not every tribe practiced this, and today the majority of Papua New Guinea society considers it taboo. It's also illegal. Reasons for cannibalism varied. In a popular YouTube video by Drew Bensky, members of the Mamuna tribe claimed that the neighboring Korowai eat people as a form of punishment. Other groups ate family members following their death, believing that it was required to release their spirit. This was the case with the four people, who began to develop a fatal neurodegenerative disorder from eating the dead that were affected. The group stopped their cannibalism after nearly 3,000 people died, and it was finally recognized that it was spreading by the consumption of their dead. There are still reports of cannibals, but some believe they are just rumors that were started to attract tourists. A belief in witchcraft and sorcery is common in many parts of Papua New Guinea. Accusations of witchcraft are often triggered by the illness or death of a family member or friend, leading relatives and other villagers to seek vengeance against the suspected witch, whom they believe to be responsible for their misfortune. In 2014, Papua New Guinea's Constitutional and Law Reform Commission estimated that there were over 150 sorcery accusation-related murders annually, and likely hundreds more tortured and chased from their homes. Women are six times more likely to be accused of witchcraft. I typically like to talk about positive things in my country videos, but this is difficult to overlook. Papua New Guinea is one of the worst countries in the world, if not the worst country, to be a woman. It is estimated that nearly 70% of women in Papua New Guinea have suffered domestic abuse, and over 50% of women have been raped. Hopefully, as the country's economy and education improves, so will its culture In the year 2000, the country had a literacy rate of 57%. In 2010, the rate had increased to 62%, and 63% in 2023. The goal is 70% by 2027. Its economy is quickly growing. The size of its economy has doubled since 2010. As would most, the country wishes to maintain its cultural diversity while also growing, but some have accused the government of sacrificing growth for its culture. 97% of land in Papua New Guinea is held by its tribes, who manage the land under their own customary principles of land ownership. This has made private land ownership and investment in Papua New Guinea expensive. Either way, it appears that preserving its different cultures is the priority. Papua New Guinea's Constitution states, We accordingly call for recognition that the cultural, commercial, and ethnic diversity of our people is positive strength, and for the fostering of a respect for and appreciation of traditional ways of life and culture, including language, in all their richness and variety, as well as for a willingness to apply these ways dynamically and creatively for the task of development. And that's all for this video. 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