This unique people.
Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, occupying the Eastern part of the island of New Guinea, the Bismarck archipelago and various smaller Islands. The country’s population – 7 million people. The name “Papua” derives from Malay word “Papua”, which translated into Russian language means “curly” (according to another version – from the “orang Papua”, “curly blackhead man”).
This name gave the island its European discoverer, the Portuguese Jorge di Menezes in 1526, noting the shape of hair of local residents. In 1545 the island was visited by the Spaniard iñigo Ortiz de Retes and gave it the name “New Guinea” because, in his opinion, the locals were like the natives of Guinea in Africa.
People first settled in the territory of Papua – New Guinea 60-45 thousand years ago from Southeast Asia, breaking a few sea Straits. At that time the sea level was lower and the island was connected to Australia. The descendants of the first population of the island, now comprising the majority of the population of Papua New Guinea are called Papuans.
About three thousand years ago on the island moved to the second wave of immigrants from Asia, which, like the Papuans, Australoid race (it includes the Australian aborigines), but speaking Austronesian languages. Often the Austronesian population of the island is also called Papuans due to external similarities.
While not a clear line that separates Austronesian from Papuans. It is possible that arrived on the island austronesia disappeared in the local Papuan population, giving them their languages and culture. Now in Papua New Guinea there are about 7 thousand tribes and ethnic groups speaking more than 800 languages (of which 650 Papuan, and the rest – Austronesian). The share of the Papua New Guinea accounts for 12 percent of the world’s languages is the linguistic diversity in the region of our planet.
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