New Guinea: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 11, 2026

News •

Three PNG nationals among seven inmates who escaped from Papua prison • Nov. 7, 2026, 1:45 AM ET (Toronto Star)

Fires Char New Guinea • Oct. 22, 2026, 12:01 AM ET (NASA Science (.gov))

Photos

Owen Stanley Range

Bismarck Range: Mount Wilhelm

sweet potato farming, Papua New Guinea

Smoke over Indonesia on September 24, 1997.Hundreds of fires set by loggers, farmers, and plantation owners burned on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Smoke from fires set on the island of New Guinea is also visible.

Physical map of Asia and New Guinea highlighting major landforms with color codes: mountains in orange, plateaus in yellow, basins and depressions in tan, and plains and lowlands in green. Key features such as the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, Gobi Desert, West Siberian Plain, and Maoke Mountains in New Guinea are labeled.

See All Images →

Topics

Alcatraz Island Hawaii South Island Bora-Bora Borneo Tahiti Bikini Wake Island Oahu Saipan

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Island, New Caledonia.

Islands and Archipelagos