Papua (province)

Papua
Province with special status
Province of Papua
Provinsi Papua
Coat of arms of Papua
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
Bumi Cenderawasih (Indonesian)
"Land of Paradisaea"
Motto(s): 
Karya Swadaya (Sanskrit)
"Work with one's own might"
Location of Papua in Indonesia
Location of Papua in Indonesia
OpenStreetMap
Map
Coordinates (Jayapura): 2°32′S 140°43′E / 2.533°S 140.717°E / -2.533; 140.717
Country Indonesia
Established27 December 1949[1]
Under Indonesian administration1 May 1963[2]
Latest partition30 June 2022[3]
Capital
and largest city		Jayapura
Divisions8 regencies and 1 city
Government
 • BodyPapua Provincial Government
 • GovernorRidwan Rumasukun (Acting)
 • Vice GovernorVacant
Area
[4]
 • Total82,680.95 km2 (31,923.29 sq mi)
 • Rank7th in Indonesia
Population
 (mid 2023 estimate)[5]
 • Total1,047,098
 • Density13/km2 (33/sq mi)
Demographics
 • Ethnic groupsPapuans, Ambonese, Bugis, Butonese, Evav/Kei, Javanese, Makassar, Minahasa, Toraja[6]
 • LanguagesIndonesian (official),
Papuan Malay (lingua franca) and others[7]
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (Indonesia Eastern Time)
ISO 3166 codeID-PA
Vehicle registrationPA
Websitepapua.go.id

Papua is a province of Indonesia, comprising the northern coast of Western New Guinea together with island groups in Cenderawasih Bay to the west. It roughly follows the borders of Papuan customary region of Tabi Saireri.[8][9] It is bordered by nation of Papua New Guinea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the north, Cenderawasih Bay to the west, and the provinces of Central Papua and Highland Papua to the south. The province also shares maritime boundaries with Palau in the Pacific. Following the splitting off of twenty regencies to create the three new provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua on 30 June 2022, the residual province is divided into eight regencies (kabupaten) and one city (kota), the latter being the provincial capital of Jayapura. The province has a large potential in natural resources, such as gold, nickel, petroleum, etc.[10] Papua, along with five other Papuan provinces,[citation needed] has a higher degree of autonomy level compared to other Indonesian provinces.[11]

The island of New Guinea has been populated for tens of thousands of years. European traders began frequenting the region around the late 16th century due to spice trade. In the end, the Dutch Empire emerged as the dominant leader in the spice war, annexing the western part of New Guinea into the colony of Dutch East Indies. The Dutch remained in New Guinea until 1962, even though other parts of the former colony has declared independence as the Republic of Indonesia in 1945.[12] Following negotiations and conflicts with the Indonesian government, the Dutch transferred Western New Guinea to a United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA), which was again transferred to Indonesia after the controversial Act of Free Choice.[13] The province was formerly called Irian Jaya and comprised the entire Western New Guinea until the inauguration of the province of West Papua (then West Irian Jaya) in 2001. In 2002, Papua adopted its current name and was granted a special autonomous status under Indonesian legislation.

Papua is a province rich in natural resources and cultural diversity, offering great potential for future development. As of 2020, Papua had a GDP per capita of Rp 56.1 million (US$ 3,970), placing it 11th among Indonesian provinces.[14] Efforts to improve the province’s Human Development Index, currently at 0.604, are ongoing, with significant investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. For example, the Trans-Papua Highway project is creating new opportunities for connectivity, trade, and tourism.[15] Additionally, the government's focus on empowering indigenous communities and promoting sustainable development is bringing economic and social benefits to the region. Despite the challenging terrain and climate of New Guinea, major infrastructure projects are being implemented, connecting remote areas and fostering economic growth.[16] The expansion of telecommunications services and renewable energy projects are further accelerating development in rural areas.[17]

The 2020 census revealed a population of 4,303,707, of which the majority were Christian.[18][19] The official estimate for mid 2022 was 4,418,581[20] prior to the division of the province into four separate provinces. The official estimate of the population in mid 2023 of the reduced province was 1,047,098 (comprising 548,505 males and 498,593 females).[5] The interior is predominantly populated by ethnic Papuans while coastal towns are inhabited by descendants of intermarriages between Papuans, Melanesians and Austronesians, including other Indonesian ethnic groups. Migrants from the rest of Indonesia also tend to inhabit the coastal regions.[21] The province is also home to some uncontacted peoples.[22]

  1. ^ "PERDA Provinsi Papua No 6 Tahun 2016" (PDF). peraturan.bpk.go.id. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Penetapan Presiden RI No 1 Tahun 1963" (PDF). bphn.go.id. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  3. ^ "DPR Sahkan 3 UU Provinsi Baru, Puan: Jaminan Hak Rakyat Papua dalam Pemerataan Pembangunan". Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  4. ^ Faisal, M. (8 August 2022). "5 Provinsi di Pulau Papua". Kompas.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Provinsi Papua Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.91)
  6. ^ Ananta, Aris; Utami, Dwi Retno Wilujeng Wahyu; Handayani, Nur Budi (27 June 2016). "Statistics on Ethnic Diversity in the Land of Papua, Indonesia". Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies. 3 (3). Wiley: 458–474. doi:10.1002/app5.143. hdl:10.1002/app5.143. ISSN 2050-2680. S2CID 156459190.
  7. ^ Gordon, Raymond G. Jr. (2005). "Languages of Indonesia (Papua)". Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  8. ^ "Wilayah Adat Tabi Saireri Sepakati 11 Poin Evaluasi Otsus". 29 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Pertemuan Forum Kepala Daerah Tabi Saireri, ini sejumlah Agenda yang dibahas". Yapen Islands Regency Official Website. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Sumber Daya Alam Papua – Guru Geografi". www.gurugeografi.id. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Perubahan Kedua atas Undang-Undang Nomor 21 Tahun 2001 tentang Otonomi Khusus bagi Provinsi Papua". peraturan.bpk.go.id. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  12. ^ Vickers (2005), p. 139
  13. ^ McDonald, Hamish (1980). Suharto's Indonesia. Blackburn, Victoria: Fontana Books. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-00-635721-6.
  14. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik (2020). Produk Domestik Regional Bruto Provinsi di Indonesia 2015–2019. Jakarta: Badan Pusat Statistik.
  15. ^ "Pemerintah Segera Bangun Jalan Trans Papua". Tribrata News. Kepolisian Negara Republik Indonesia. 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  16. ^ Jordan, Ray. "Jokowi: Pembangunan di Papua Sangat Sulit, Bertaruh Nyawa". detikfinance (in Indonesian). Jakarta: detikcom. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Pj. Gubernur Papua Ajak Kolaborasi Bangun Papua Lebih Baik". Pemerintah Provinsi Papua. 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Badan Pusat Statistik: Penduduk Indonesia menurut Provinsi 1971, 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000 dan 2010". www.bps.go.id. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  19. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  20. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023, Provinsi Papua Dalam Angka 2023 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.91)
  21. ^ Dagur, Ryan (5 November 2014). "Indonesia's transmigration program threatens Papuans". Ucanews.
  22. ^ "Papuan Tribes". www.survival-international.org. Survival International. Archived from the original on 29 July 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2017.