I have the fondest memories of Papua New Guinea. To my good friends Rowland and Winifred Abaijah - thank you. Lou LeBoydre Papua New Guinea, an independent country in the southwest Pacific Ocean, comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the northern part of the Solomon Islands, and hundreds of small offshore islands. Colonized at various times by several European and Asian powers, Papua New Guinea became independent from Australian administration on Sept. 16, 1975. Papua New Guinea has a rugged, mountainous landscape and is frequently subject to seismic activity.
Mountain ranges on Papua New Guinea run from northwest to southeast.
The main river systems are the Sepik, Ramu, and Markham. The islands of Bougainville, New Britain, New Ireland, and Manus are also hilly and mountainous, with valleys and gorges inland. Soils within Papua New Guinea are generally leached and infertile. Most of the country is covered with tropical rain forest, but drier areas are covered in savanna or reed grasses. A two-year ban on new logging permits was imposed in 1990.