New Guinea

New Guinea is the second largest island in the world, located to north of the Australian mainland. It has a tropical environment and enjoys plenty of rainfall, making it a garden of rainforests and vegetation covered mountains. New Guinea was first inhabited 40,000 years ago by people who arrived via land bridges and short sea voyages during the last ice age. A second group of people are estimated to have arrived approximately 3,500 years ago, possibly originating in Taiwan. These two groups have indulged in warfare and tribal raiding for thousands of years and have fractured into over a thousand different groups and languages. Head hunting and cannibalization were frequently practiced.
The Spanish and Portuguese first discovered New Guinea in the 16th century, but it was quickly colonized by the Dutch in the west, Germans in the north, and British in the south. During World War II, the island saw invasion and occupation by Japanese forces and became a key battlefield in the South Pacific Theatre. Eventually, the island was split into two separate nations. New Guinea lies to the west, which is separated into two Indonesian provinces: West Papua with its capital at Manokwari and Papua with its capital at Jayapura. To the east lies Papua New Guinea, which was originally governed by Australia and is divided into four regions: Papua, the Highlands, Momsa, and the Islands. Papua New Guinea was granted full independence by Australia in 1970 with its capital at Port Moresby.
Despite a long history of habitation, New Guinea is still largely geographically and culturally unexplored, and holds many secrets. Most of the 7 million inhabitants still live in a traditional manner, with only 10% of the population living in urban areas. New Guinea is situated in the area known as the Ring of Fire and has several active volcanoes. It is frequently subjected to earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis. A race of “lavamen” are rumored to dwell in the caldera of an undersea volcano in the area.
The economy of New Guinea is based on rich natural resources, including mining and fossil fuels, the majority of which are excavated by the Australian-owned company OSP Mining and Petroleum. OSP has shown little regard for the damage that has been caused by its operations, and is often the target of ecological groups seeking to put an end to their destructive methods.