ABSTRACT
Papua New Guinea, formally known as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and located in Oceania, is the third largest island country in the world. It is made up of the eastern half of New Guinea and several islands throughout Melanesia. The population of 7.4 million is believed to be one of the world’s most culturally diverse and socially complex, with ethnic groups including Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian. Papua New Guinea is home to 839 different indigenous languages, with English and Tok Pisin as the official languages. Only 14 percent of the population lives in urban areas, making Papua New Guinea one of the most rural countries in the world. Much of the population continues to live a traditional lifestyle, in varied settlement patterns.
