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| West Papua (region) | |
|---|---|
| Conventional long name | West Papua (region) |
| Common name | West Papua |
| Official languages | Indonesian language |
| Capital | Jayapura |
| Largest city | Jayapura |
| Area km2 | 412214 |
| Population estimate | 4,300,000 |
| Sovereignty type | Region |
| Established event1 | Dutch colonial rule |
| Established date1 | 1828–1962 |
West Papua (region) West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea comprising the Indonesian provinces of Papua (province), West Papua (province), Central Papua (province), Highland Papua (province), South Papua (province), and Southwest Papua (province). The region occupies the western terminus of the Pacific Ocean island arc and forms the easternmost extent of the Indonesian Archipelago bordering Papua New Guinea and the Arafura Sea; it is noted for extensive montane, coastal, and lowland ecosystems and complex colonial and post-colonial interactions involving the Netherlands, Indonesia, the United Nations, and movements such as the Free Papua Movement.
Names for the region derive from colonial, indigenous, and administrative sources including the Dutch-era designation Netherlands New Guinea, the Indonesian-era designation Irian Jaya, and the contemporary administrative names established under Law No. 21/2001 and subsequent provincial laws. Indigenous ethnonyms such as Melanesia-linked terms appear alongside sea-borne labels used by European explorers like Alfred Russel Wallace and navigators associated with the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie. International diplomacy over nomenclature invoked instruments and forums including the New York Agreement and debates within the United Nations General Assembly.
The region spans from coastal mangroves and coral reef systems in the Coral Triangle and the Banda Sea interface to the Central Range highlands featuring peaks near Puncak Jaya and glacial remnants akin to other equatorial ice fields noted by explorers such as Heinrich Harrer; rivers like the Mamberamo River and wetlands around the Asmat area support endemic taxa and link to conservation efforts by organizations like World Wildlife Fund and studies from the Smithsonian Institution. Biogeographical connections reach to the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate with plate boundary processes influencing seismicity related to events cataloged by the United States Geological Survey and coral reef studies associated with James Cook University. Protected areas and biodiversity hotspots host species highlighted in monographs published by the Natural History Museum, London and surveys by the IUCN.
Pre-colonial histories intersect with trading networks described in accounts by Marco Polo-era chroniclers and later contacts with European explorers such as William Dampier; societies engaged in sago-based horticulture and trans-island exchange documented in ethnographies by Bronisław Malinowski and archaeological work linked to sites comparable to findings by teams from the Australian National University. Dutch colonial administration established infrastructure and missionary activity represented by institutions such as the Dutch East Indies Company legacies and displaced indigenous polities. Post-World War II diplomatic resolution culminated in the New York Agreement and the controversial Act of Free Choice (1969), drawing scrutiny from entities including the United Nations and human rights organizations like Amnesty International, and spawning resistance movements including the Free Papua Movement and peacemaking initiatives involving NGOs and regional actors like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in broader Indonesian politics.
Populations include highland Papuan groups, coastal Papuan communities, and migrant populations from islands such as Sulawesi and Java; census and demographic analysis performed by the Statistics Indonesia illustrate diverse age structures and internal migration patterns tied to national development programs such as transmigration policies instituted after independence by leaders including Sukarno and Suharto. Religious affiliation surveys show Christianity denominations represented by Papua Evangelical Church bodies and minority Muslim communities connected to national organizations like the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, while customary law systems intersect with national legal frameworks embodied in legislation from the People's Consultative Assembly.
The region's economy centers on extractive industries such as the Grasberg mine operations historically developed by corporations like Freeport-McMoRan and export corridors through ports such as Biak and Sorong, alongside forestry concessions once cataloged by international audits from the World Bank and commodity studies by UNCTAD. Fisheries exploit zones within the Arafura Sea and artisanal sectors tied to markets in Jayapura and Manokwari, while agricultural production includes sago, sweet potato, and cash crops studied in reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Environmental critiques by researchers affiliated with Greenpeace and legal cases in Indonesian courts have addressed resource governance and revenue-sharing arrangements negotiated under laws like Law No. 33/2004 on fiscal decentralization.
Administrative evolution produced provincial and regency structures enacted by the People's Representative Council and overseen by national ministries including the Ministry of Home Affairs (Indonesia), with political debates about autonomy traced through instruments like Special Autonomy Law provisions and interventions by presidents including Megawati Sukarnoputri and Joko Widodo. Security issues have involved coordinated operations by the Indonesian National Armed Forces and responses framed by human rights reports from organizations such as Human Rights Watch, while international advocacy channels include appeals to bodies like the European Parliament and engagement by diaspora groups in cities such as Vancouver and Melbourne.
The region hosts one of the world's highest concentrations of languages, with families documented in comparative linguistics by scholars at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and typological surveys in publications from the SIL International identifying scores of distinct Papuan and Austronesian languages. Artistic traditions—wood carving among the Asmat people, bark cloth weaving in Highland communities, and ritual performance recorded by ethnomusicologists from The Australian Museum—have been showcased in exhibitions at institutions like the British Museum and in film works by directors associated with festivals such as Sundance Film Festival. Cultural heritage protection efforts have engaged UNESCO through intangible heritage frameworks and archaeological collaborations with universities including Leiden University.
Category:Regions of Indonesia