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. 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 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. Papua, along with five other Papuan provinces, has a higher degree of autonomy level compared to other Indonesian provinces.
Dutch New Guinea or Netherlands New Guinea was the western half of the island of New Guinea that was a part of the Dutch East Indies until 1949, later an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. It contained what are now Indonesia's six easternmost provinces, Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, which were administered as a single province prior to 2003 under the name Irian Jaya, and now comprise the Papua region of the country.
Jayapura is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Papua. It is situated on the northern coast of New Guinea island and covers an area of 940.0 km2 (362.9 sq mi). The city borders the Pacific Ocean and Yos Sudarso Bay to the north, the country of Papua New Guinea to the east, Keerom Regency to the south, and Jayapura Regency to the west.
West Papua, formerly Irian Jaya Barat, is an Indonesian province located in Indonesia Papua. It covers most of the two western peninsulas of the island of New Guinea: the eastern half of the Bird's Head Peninsula and the whole of the Bomberai Peninsula, along with nearby smaller islands. The province is bordered to the north by the Pacific Ocean, to the west by Southwest Papua Province, the Halmahera Sea and the Ceram Sea, to the south by the Banda Sea, and to the east by the province of Central Papua and the Cenderawasih Bay. Manokwari is the province's capital and largest city. With an estimated population of 569,570 in mid-2023, West Papua is the least populous province in Indonesia after South Papua, following the separation off in 2022 of the western half of the Bird's Head Peninsula to create the new province of Southwest Papua, containing 52% of what had been West Papua's population.Its population density is similar to Russia.
Biak is the main island of Biak Archipelago located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak has many atolls, reefs, and corals.
Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua, the region is also called West Papua.
The Bird's Head Peninsula or Doberai Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the northwest portion of the island of New Guinea, comprising the Indonesian provinces of Southwest Papua and West Papua. It is often referred to as The Vogelkop, and is so named because its shape looks like a bird's head on the island of New Guinea. The peninsula at the opposite end of the island is called the Bird's Tail Peninsula. The peninsula just to the south is called the Bomberai Peninsula.
Sorong is the largest city and the capital of the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua. The city is located on the western tip of the island of New Guinea with its only land borders being with Sorong Regency. It is the gateway to Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands, species rich coral reef islands in an area considered the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity. It also is the logistics hub for Indonesia's thriving eastern oil and gas frontier. Sorong experienced rapid growth during the decade from 2010, and further growth is anticipated as Sorong becomes linked by road to other frontier towns in Papua's Bird's Head Peninsula. The official estimate of population as at mid 2023 was 294,978 - comprising 154,543 males and 140,435 females. The suburban area of Sorong city contains tropical rainforest and mangrove forest that has increasingly become popular as ecotourism attractions especially for birdwatching or wildlife watching.
The Arfak Mountains is a mountain range found on the Bird's Head Peninsula in the Province of West Papua, Indonesia.
Rendani Airport, in Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia, is one of the largest and busiest airports in West Papua. The airport has one runway, designated 17/35, with an asphalt surface measuring 2000 by 45 meters. A new terminal, cargo building and larger apron were finished in 2013.
Domine Eduard Osok Airport, located in Sorong, Southwest Papua, Indonesia, is one of the largest and busiest airports on the Bird's Head Peninsula. It replaced a smaller, former World War II airfield, Jefman Airport on the island of Jefman. The airport is named after Domine Eduard Osok, a pastor originating from Sorong and known for doing missionary work and spreading Christianity in Sorong and the surrounding parts.
Bomberai Peninsula is located in the Western New Guinea region. It is south of the Bird's Head Peninsula, and Bintuni Bay separates the two peninsulas. To the west lies the Sebakor Bay and to the south Kamrau Bay. On the southeast Arguni Bay lies between the peninsula and the Bird's Neck Isthmus.
Xpress Air was an Indonesian domestic regular airline that offered direct flights to the eastern parts of Indonesia, with its first flight in 2005, and from 2014 international routes to Malaysia. Beginning with two Boeing 737s, Xpress Air was the first privately owned, scheduled airline to connect Jakarta to 24 domestic destinations like Makassar, Ternate, Sorong, Manokwari and Jayapura. Makassar was a main hub for all flights coming from Java to the eastern cities of Indonesia, while Sorong was a second hub in Papua, connecting remote places surrounding the West Papua area. The airline ceased all operations in 2021.
The 2009 West Papua earthquakes occurred on January 4 local time in Indonesia's Tambrauw Regency in Southwest Papua. The very large earthquake doublet comprised a 7.6 initial shock that had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) and a second event measuring Mw 7.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII. The events took place less than three hours apart to the east-northeast of Sorong on the Bird's Head Peninsula and left at least four people dead and dozens injured.
Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 836 was a scheduled domestic flight between Sorong and Manokwari, Indonesia. On 13 April 2010, the flight, operated by Boeing 737-300 PK-MDE, overran the runway on landing. The aircraft broke into three pieces. All people on board survived, although 44 suffered injuries.
Manokwari Regency is a regency in West Papua, Indonesia. Following the splitting away of twenty of its former districts in 2013, it now covers an area of 2,762.89 km2 and had a population of 192,663 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 201,821. The administrative centre is presently at the town of Manokwari, which is also the capital of the province.
Tambrauw Regency is a regency of Southwest Papua Province, Indonesia, in the Bird's Head Peninsula of Papua Island. It was created on 29 October 2008 from what had been an eastern part of Sorong Regency, originally as part of the province of West Papua. Much of the regency is located on the Tamrau Mountains that the local government declarated Tambrauw as a "conservation regency".
Teluk Bintuni Regency or Bintuni Bay Regency is a regency of West Papua Province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 18,637 km2, comprising administrative districts on three sides of Bintuni Bay, a gulf that separates the Bird's Head Peninsula and Bomberai Peninsula which together form the main geographical constituents of the province; it had a population of 52,422 at the 2010 Census and 87,083 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 90,101. The administrative centre is the town of Bintuni.
Utarom Airport serves Kaimana, located in the province of West Papua in Indonesia. Due to increasing passengers, the airport was heavily modernized. The airport development has been done in stages, beginning in 2012, followed in 2014, and completed at the end of 2015. Currently, Utarom Airport has a modern passenger terminal design like that of Wamena Airport. Airport capacity has also been increased to accommodate 102 passengers during peak hours. The passenger terminal is made more comfortable in order to improve service to passengers. In total, the construction of a passenger terminal covering an area of 1,800 square meters costs around Rp 75.5 billion. The development of the airport was completed at the end of 2015 and was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo on 30 December 2016.
Southwest Papua is the 38th province of Indonesia to be created, and was split off from West Papua on 8 December 2022. Despite being named southwest, it is a misnomer and this province is actually located in the northwest edge of Papua. The province comprises the Greater Sorong area which consists of Sorong City, Sorong Regency, South Sorong Regency, Maybrat Regency, Tambrauw Regency, and Raja Ampat Regency. The Bill (RUU) on the Establishment of the Southwest Papua Province was passed into law and therefore it became the 38th province in Indonesia with effect from 8 December 2022.
Indonesia 
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