How many Papuan languages are spoken in New Guinea and surrounding islands?

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Papuan languages Map of the languages found on the Doberai Peninsula of New Guinea.

In the region encompassing New Guinea and its surrounding islands—including parts of eastern Indonesia—there are approximately 1,100 languages spoken in total. Of these, about 800 are classified as Papuan languages, while the remaining 300 are Austronesian languages.1

It is important to note that Papuan languages do not form a single, genetically unified language family. Instead, they are organized into several dozen distinct language families, with many small groups and isolate languages that have yet to be classified into larger genetic units. Because of this complex, fragmented linguistic environment and the high degree of cross-influence between neighboring communities, comparative linguistic analysis remains an ongoing and rigorous process.123