page_title: Outline of Papua New Guinea
section_title: Environment of Papua New Guinea
hierarchical_section_title: Outline of Papua New Guinea / Geography of Papua New Guinea / Environment of Papua New Guinea
context_page_description: The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Papua New Guinea:
  The Independent State of Papua New Guinea is a sovereign island nation of Oceania comprising the eastern half of the Island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands in the western South Pacific Ocean. Papua New Guinea is located in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia. Its capital, and one of its few major cities, is Port Moresby. It is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies, out of a population of just under 6 million. It is also one of the most rural, with only 18 per cent of its people living in urban centres. The country is also one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea.
  The majority of the population live in traditional societies and practise subsistence-based agriculture. These societies and clans have some explicit acknowledgement within the nation's constitutional framework.
context_section_description: Environment of Papua New Guinea
  Climate of Papua New Guinea
  Environmental issues in Papua New Guinea
  Renewable energy in Papua New Guinea
  Geology of Papua New Guinea
  Protected areas of Papua New Guinea
  Biosphere reserves in Papua New Guinea
  National parks of Papua New Guinea
  Wildlife of Papua New Guinea
  Fauna of Papua New Guinea
  Butterflies of Papua New Guinea
  Non-marine molluscs of Papua New Guinea
  Fish of Papua New Guinea
  Amphibians of Papua New Guinea
  Reptiles of Papua New Guinea
  Birds of Papua New Guinea
  Mammals of Papua New Guinea
caption: An enlargeable satellite image of Papua New Guinea
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