 | |
| Region | |
| Country | Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Provinces | Papua, West Papua |
| Cities | Jayapura, Manokwari, Sorong, Wamena, Timika, Fak Fak |
| Highest point | Puncak Jaya |
| - location | Sudirman Range |
| - elevation | 4,884 m (16,024 ft) |
| - coordinates | 4°5′S 137°11′E / 4.083°S 137.183°E |
| Area | 420,540 km² (162,371 sq mi) |
| Population | 3,661,000 (2005) |
| Density | 9 / km² (23 / sq mi) |
| Timezone | EIT (UTC+9) |
| ISO 3166-2 | ID-IJ |
| License plate | DS |
 | |
West Papua (or Western New Guinea) informally refers to the Indonesian western half of the island of New Guinea and other smaller islands to its west. The region is officially administered as two provinces: Papua and West Papua. The eastern half of New Guinea is Papua New Guinea.
The population of approximately 3 million comprises ethnic Papuans, Melanesians, and Austronesians. The region is predominantly dense forest where numerous traditional tribes live such as the Dani of the Baliem Valley, although the majority of the population live in or near coastal areas. The largest city in the region is Jayapura. The official and most commonly spoken language is Indonesian. Estimates of the number of tribal languages in the region range from 200 to over 700, with the most widely spoken including Dani, Yali, Ekari and Biak. The predominant religion is Christianity (often combined with traditional beliefs) followed by Islam. The main industries include agriculture, fishing, oil production, and mining.
Human habitation is estimated to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago.[1] The Netherlands made claim to the region and commenced missionary work in nineteenth century. The region was incorporated into the Indonesian republic in the 1960s, and has faced a violent separatist movement since then. Following the 1998 commencement of reforms across Indonesia, Papua and other Indonesian provinces received greater regional autonomy. In 2001, "Special Autonomy" status was granted to West Papua, although to date, implementation has been partial.[2] Since 2003, the region has been divided into the two provinces of Papua and West Papua.
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[edit] Name
Speakers align themselves with a political orientation when choosing a name for the western half of the island of New Guinea.[3] "West Papua", which is not the official name for the western half of the island, is preferred by ethnic Papuans[4] and separatists.[5] The region has had the official names of Netherlands New Guinea (1895–1962), West New Guinea (1962–63), West Irian (1963–73), Irian Jaya (1973–2001), and Papua (2002–2003). When the region was administratively one in Indonesia, Indonesian officials criticized activists' use of the term "West Papua", because they thought that the term implied that the province was not a part of Indonesia. Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid considered his short-lived use of the name "Papua" in 2002 as a concession to the separatists.[6] Since 2003, western New Guinea has had two provinces: the province of West Papua on the west, and the province of Papua on the east. Officials and administrators refer to the province when they say "West Papua"; independence activists mean the whole of western New Guinea.[7]
[edit] Geography
The region is 1,200 km from east to west and 736 km north to south. It has an area of 420,540 km2 (162,371 sq mi), approximately 22% of Indonesia's land area. The border with Papua New Guinea mostly follows the 141st meridian east, with one section defined by the Fly River.
The island of New Guinea was once part of the Australian landmass and lie on the Sahul. The collision between the Indo-Australian Plate and Pacific plate resulting in the Maoke Mountains run through the centre of the region and are 600 km (373 mi) long and 100 km (62 mi) across.[citation needed] The range includes about ten peaks over 4,000 metres (13,120 feet) including,[8] Puncak Jaya (4,884 m), Puncak Trikora (4,750 m), and Puncak Mandala (4,701 m). The range ensures a steady supply of rain from the tropical atmosphere. The tree line is around 4,000 m (13,100 ft)[citation needed] and the tallest peaks feature small glaciers and are snowbound year round. Both north and west of the central ranges the land remains mountainous — mostly 1,000 to 2,000 m (3,300–6,660 ft) high with a warm humid climate year round. The highland areas feature alpine grasslands, jagged bare peaks, montane forests, rainforests, fast flowing rivers, and gorges. Swamps and low-lying alluvial plains of fertile soil dominate the southeastern section around the town of Merauke. Swamps also extend 300 km around the Asmat region.
The province has 40 major rivers, 12 lakes, and 40 islands. The Mamberamo river is the province's largest river which winds through the northern part of the province. The result is a large area of lakes and rivers known as the Lakes Plains region. The vast southern lowlands, which consist of a mosaic of habitats including mangrove, tidal and freshwater swamp forest and lowland rainforest, are home to a dense population of fishermen and gatherers such as the Asmat people. The Baliem Valley, home of the Dani people is a tableland 1,600 m (5,250 ft) above sea level in the midst of the central mountain range.
The dry season across the region is generally between May and October; although drier in these months, rain does persists throughout the year. Strong winds and rain are experienced along the north coast in November through to March. However, the south coast experiences and increase in wind and rain between April and October, which is the dry season in the Merauke area, the only part of West Papua to experience distinct seasons. Coastal areas are generally hot and humid, whereas the highland areas tend to be cooler.
[edit] Ecology
Lying in the Asia-Australian transition zone near Wallacea, the regions flora and fauna include Asiatic, Australian, and endemic spieces.
Marsupial spieces dominate and the region; there are an estimated 70 marsupial spieces (including possums, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, cuscus), and 180 other mammal spieces (including the endangered long-beaked echidna). The region is the only part of Indonesia to have kangaroos, marsupial mice, bandicoots, and ring-tailed possums. The approximately 700 bird species include cassowaries (along the southern coastal areas), bowerbirds, kingfishers, crowned pigeons, parrots, cockatoos) of which 450 are endemic. Birds of paradise can be found in Kepala Burung and Yapen. The region is also home to around 800 spieces of spiders, 200 frogs, 30,000 beetles, 70 bat spieces, the world's longest lizards (Papua monitor) and some of the world's largest butterflies.[citation needed] The extensive waterways and wetlands of Papua are also home to salt and freshwater crocodile, tree monitor, flying foxes, osprey. and other animals; while the equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored.[citation needed]
The region is 75% forest and it has a high degree of biodiversity. The island has an estimated 16,000 species of plant, 124 genera of which are endemic.[citation needed] The mountainous areas and the north are covered with dense rainforest. Highland vegetation also includes alpine grasslands, heath, pine forests, bush and scrub. The vegetation of the south coast includes mangroves and sago palms, and in the drier southeastern section, eucalypts, paperbarks, and acacias.
In February 2005, a team of scientists exploring the Foja Mountains discovered numerous new species of birds, butterflies, amphibians, and plants, including a species of rhododendron which may have the largest bloom of the genus.[9]
Environmental issues include deforestation, the spread of the introduced Crab-eating Macaque which now threatens the existence of many native monkey species, and discarded copper and gold tailings from the Grasberg mine.[10]
[edit] Demographics
The population of the region was estimated to be 2,646,489 in 2005.[citation needed] The interior is predominantly populated by ethnic Papuans and coastal towns are inhabited by descendants of intermarriages between Papuans, Melanesians, and other Indonesian ethnic groups. Migrants from the rest of Indonesia also tend to inhabit the coastal regions. The two largest cities in the territory are Sorong in the northwest of the Bird's Head Peninsula and Jayapura in the northeast. Both cities have a population of approximately 200,000.[citation needed]
The region is home to around 312 different tribes, including some uncontacted peoples.[11] The Dani, from the Baliem Valley, are one of the most populous tribes of the region. The Manikom and Hatam inhabit the Anggi Lakes area, and the Kanum and Marind are from near Merauke. The semi-nomadic Asmat inhabit the mangrove and tidal river areas near Agats and are renowned for their woodcarving. Other tribes include the Amungme, Bauzi, Biak (Byak), Korowai, Lani, Mee, Mek, Sawi, and Yali. Estimates of the number of distinct languages spoken in the region range from 200 to 700. A number of these languages are permanently disappearing.
As in Papua New Guinea and some surrounding east Indonesian provinces, a large majority of the population is Christian. In the 2000 census 54% of West Papuans identified themselves as Protestant, 24% as Catholic, 21% as Muslim, and less than 1% as either Hindu or Buddhist. There is also substantial practice of animism among the major religions, but this is not recorded by the census.
[edit] Haplogroups
There are 6 main Y-chromosome haplogroups in West Papua; Y-chromosome haplogroup M is the most common, with Y-chromosome haplogroup O2a as a small minority in second place and Y-chromosome haplogroup S back in third position across the mountain highlands; while D, C2 and C4 are of negligible numbers.
- Haplogroup M is the most frequently occurring Y-chromosome haplogroup in West Papua.[12]
- In a 2005 study of Papua New Guinea’s ASPM gene variants, Mekel-Bobrov et al. found that the Papuan people have among the highest rate of the newly-evolved ASPM haplogroup D, at 59.4% occurrence of the approximately 6,000-year-old allele.[13]
- Haplogroup O2a (M95) is typical of Austro-Asiatic peoples, Kradai peoples, Malays, Indonesians, and Malagasy, with a moderate distribution throughout South, Southeast, East, and Central Asia.
- Haplogroup S occurs in eastern Indonesia (10–20%) and Island Melanesia (~10%), but reaches greatest frequency in the highlands of Papua New Guinea (52%).[14]
[edit] Culture
West Papuans have significant cultural affinities with the inhabitants of Papua New Guinea. As in Papua New Guinea the peoples of the highlands have distinct traditions and languages from peoples of the coast, though Papuan scholars and activists have recently detailed cultural links between coast and highlands as evidenced by close similarity of family names.
Independence activist John Rumbiak writes that Indonesian governance, education, and immigration have undermined Papuan culture. In response to such criticism the Indonesian government states that the special autonomy arrangement specifically addresses the ongoing preservation of Papua cultures, and that the transmigration program was "designed specifically to help the locals through knowledge transfer."[15]
In some parts of the highlands, the koteka (penis gourd) is worn by males in ceremonial contexts. The use of the koteka as everyday dress by Dani males in Western New Guinea is still common.
[edit] History
Papuan habitation of the region is estimated to have begun between 42,000 and 48,000 years ago.[1] Research indicates that the highlands were an early and independent center of agriculture, and show that agriculture developed gradually over several thousands of years and that banana has been cultivated in this region since at least 7000 years ago.[16]
Austronesian peoples migrating through Maritime Southeast Asia settled since at least 3000 years ago, and populated specially in Cenderawasih Bay. Diverse cultures and languages have developed in situ; there are over 300 languages and two hundred additional dialects in the region (See Papuan languages, Austronesian languages, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages).
[edit] European discovery
In 1526-27, the Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes accidentally came upon the principal island and is credited with naming it Papua, from a Malay word Papuwah, for the frizzled quality of Melanesian hair.[17] He landed also on Waigeo Island and named the region Ilhas dos Papuas (Islands of Papuans).
In 1545 the Spaniard Yñigo Ortiz de Retez sailed along the north coast as far as the Mamberamo River near which he landed, naming the island Nueva Guinea. In 1606 Spanish navigator Luís Vaz de Torres[18] sailed along the southwestern part of the island in present-day Papua, and also claimed the territory for the King of Spain.
Near the end of the sixteenth century, Sultanate of Ternate under Sultan Baabullah (1570–1583), had influence over parts of Papua.[19]
[edit] Netherlands New Guinea
In 1660, the Dutch recognised the Sultan of Tidore's sovereignty over New Guinea. New Guinea thus became notionally Dutch as the Dutch held power over Tidore. In 1793, Britain established a settlement near Manokwari, however, it failed. By 1824 Britain and the Netherlands agreed that the western half of the island would become part of the Dutch East Indies. In 1828 the Dutch established a settlement in Lobo (near Kaimana) which also failed. Great Britain and Germany had recognised the Dutch claims on western New Guinea in treaties of 1885 and 1895. Dutch activity in the region remained minimal in the first half of the twentieth century. Dutch, US, and Japanese mining companies explored the area's rich oil reserves in the 1930s. In 1942, the northern coast of West New Guinea and the nearby islands were occupied by Japan. In 1944, Allied forces gained control of the region through four-phase campaign from neighbouring Papua New Guinea. The United States constructed a headquarters for MacArthur at Hollandia (Jayapura) intended as a staging point for operations taking of the Philippines. Papuan men and resources were used to support the Allied war effort in the Pacific. After the war's end the Dutch regained possession of the region.
Since the early twentieth century, Indonesian nationalists had sought an independent Indonesia based on all Dutch colonial possessions in the Indies, including western New Guinea. In December 1949, the Netherlands recognised Indonesian sovereignty over the Dutch East Indies with the exception of Dutch New Guinea, the issue of which was to be discussed within a year. In attempt to prevent Indonesia taking control of the region and to prepare the region for self-rule, the Dutch significantly raised development spending off its low base,[20] began investing in Papuan education, and encouraged Papuan nationalism. A small western elite developed with a growing political awareness attuned to the idea of independence, with close links to neighbouring eastern New Guinea which was administered by Australia.[21] A national parliament was elected in 1961, however, support for the nascent nationalist movement across the region was weak and fragmented.
[edit] Incorporation into Indonesia
Sukarno made take over of western New Guinea a focus of his continuing struggle against Dutch imperialism and part of a broader Third World conflict with the West.[22] Indonesia launched seaborne and paratroop incursions into the territory but with little success;[23] for the most part, Papuans attacked the paratroopers or handed them over to Dutch authorities.[24] The Dutch knew that a military campaign to retain the region would require protracted jungle warfare, and were unwilling to see a repeat of their eventually futile efforts in the armed struggle for Indonesian independence in the 1940s, and they agreed to American mediation.
The secret negotiations resulted in the vaguely-worded New York Agreement.[24] Ratified by the UN in September 1962, the agreement required authority to be transferred to a United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) and then to Indonesia from 1 May 1963, until such time as Indonesia allowed the Papuans to determine whether they wanted independence or be part of Indonesia. Accordingly in 1969, the United Nations supervised the "Act of Free Choice" in which the Indonesian government used the procedure of musyawarah, a consensus of 'elders'. With Papuan nationalism not yet sufficient enough to contest the "consensual" ritual,[25] a unanimous vote for integration was reached amongst the 1,054 representatives chosen from Merauke, Jayawijaya and Paniai districts. Soon after, the region was renamed "West Irian", and it became the 26th province of Indonesia with full United Nations and international recognition.
[edit] West Papua since 1969
In 1971, Freeport Sulphur commenced construction of the Grasberg Mine which has become the world's biggest gold mine and the world's third largest copper mine. Under the government's transmigration program tens of thousands of people have been resettled from over populated areas in Java, Sumatra, and Bali into sparsely West Papua such that over one third of the region's population[citation needed] are no longer ethnic Papuans. Most immigrants, whether transmigrasi-sponsored or independent, live near the main towns of Jayapura, Merauke, Manokwari, Nabire, and Sorong. Critics[who?] say that the transmigration program's purpose was to tip the balance of the province's population from the heavily Melanesian Papuans toward western Indonesians, thus further consolidating Indonesian control.[citation needed] Local and international protest[where?] followed the impact of economic development and transmigration by other Indonesians into the region.[26]
The separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) has engaged in a small-scale conflict with the Indonesian military since the 1960s. In 1969, rebellions occurred on Biak Island and at Enaotali in the western highlands. Between 1977 and mid-1980s, sporadic conflict erupted in the mountains around the Baliem Valley, at Tembagapura (in the region of the Grasberg Mine), and in remote areas of the Paniai district. In 1995, members and sympathisers of OPM stormed the Indonesian consulate in Vanimo across the border in Papua New Guinea, and took the streets in Tembagapura and Timika. In 1996, 5,000 Papuans rioted for several days and burned the Abepura market in Jayapura resulting in several deaths. That year, Free Papua Movement separatists kidnapped European and Indonesian researchers in a remote part of the Baliem Valley. The Europeans were released four months later, however, two Indonesian hostages were killed.[27] Separatists resent the sometimes military responses to political dissent. A Sydney University academic has estimated more than 100,000 Papuans, have died since incorporation into Indonesia.[28] A human rights advocate alleges documentation of 921 deaths directly from military operations in the region between 1965 and 1999.[27]
In late 1998, the post-Suharto national government indicated a willingness to negotiate with separatists, and the military presence in the region was reduced. In December 2001, the province was officially named "Papua" and significant concessions were offered by the government in terms of a "Special Autonomy" status and a reinvestment into the region of 80% of the taxation receipts generated from the region. However, since 1998, seven new provinces were created across Indonesia including the creation of "West Papua" which encompasses the Bird's Head Peninsula and surrounding islands to its west.
[edit] Administration
The region consists of 27 regencies (kabupaten), 2 cities (kotamadya), 117 subdistricts (kecamatan), 66 kelurahan, and 830 villages (desa).[citation needed]
The Regencies in Papua Province are: Asmat, Biak Numfor, Boven Digoel, Jayapura, Kota Jayapura, Jayawijaya, Keerom, Mappi, Merauke, Mimika, Nabire, Paniai, Pegunungan Bintang, Puncak Jaya, Sarmi, Supiori, Tolikara, Waropen, Yahukimo, and Yapen Waropen.[citation needed]
The Regencies in West Papua province are: Fak-Fak, Kaimana, Manokwari, Raja Ampat, Sorong, Kota Sorong, Sorong Selatan, Teluk Bintuni, and Teluk Wondama.[citation needed]
The city of Jayapura, is the largest city in West Papua. It is built on a slope overlooking a bay. Cenderawasih University campus houses the Jayapura Museum. Tanjung Ria beach, well-known to the Allies during World War II, is a holiday resort with facilities for water sports, and General Douglas MacArthur's World War II quarters are still intact.
(copy of wikipedia)
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