Western Highlands Province

Western Highlands is one of the 21 provinces of Papua New Guinea. The province counts with 8288 km ² and a population of just over 440,000 in 2000, the smallest and most densely populated in the country. Capital is Mount Hagen with just over 27,700 residents.

Western Highlands has a diverse landscape. Studded mountain ranges Kuborgebirge and Bismarck Mountains in the south and the north between with four-thousand - peaks, there are forests, mountain savannas, grasslands and garden cultivation. With the Highland Highway there are good transport links to tourism, as well as the cultivation of tea and coffee is important.

Western Highlands belonged to the German colony of German New Guinea, and the capital of Mount Hagen was named after the German administrative officer Curt von Hagen. In 1951 the Highland area was divided into several provinces, in 1968, the Enga province from Western Highlands cleaved. The area of Western Highlands has traditionally been a meeting place for the trade of the highlanders.

The neighboring provinces are Simbu in the east, in the north of Madang, Enga and Southern Highlands in the west to the south.

Population

The highlanders are mostly small in stature and have medium brown skin. There are like most in Papua New Guinea many very small tribes and language groups as Jiwaka, Jate, Manga and Kuma, but also some large as the Metlpa. Ma - Enga and Roni cultivate tea. Many tribes maintain an intensive ancestor worship.

Districts and LLGs

The Western Highlands Province is divided into seven districts. Each district consists of one or more distinguish " areas at the local administrative level ," Local Level Government ( LLG ) areas which in Rural (rural ) or urban ( urban) LLGs.