New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second-largest island, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, north of Australia. It is divided politically into two parts: the eastern half, which is the independent nation of Papua New Guinea, and the western half, known as Western New Guinea or Papua, part of Indonesia. The island is characterized by high mountain ranges, dense rainforests, and a rich diversity of plant, animal, and human cultures, with hundreds of distinct indigenous groups. Its complex geography and cultural diversity make New Guinea one of the most ecologically and ethnolinguistically diverse places on Earth.