Both provinces were granted special autonomous status by the Indonesian legislation. The following year, the second province in the region, West Papua in Manokwari, was created. The region became the province of Irian Barat (West Irian) before being renamed Irian Jaya (literally "Glorious Irian") in 1973 and Papua in 2002. However, the Dutch retained sovereignty over the region until the New York Agreement on 15 August 1962, which granted Western New Guinea to Indonesia. The region is predominantly covered with ancient rainforest where numerous traditional tribes live such as the Dani of the Baliem Valley although a large proportion of the population live in or near coastal areas with the largest city being Jayapura.įollowing its proclamation of independence in 1945, the Republic of Indonesia took over all the former territories of the Dutch East Indies, including Western New Guinea. Considered part of the Australian continent, the territory is mostly in the Southern Hemisphere and includes the Schouten and Raja Ampat archipelagoes. Lying to the west of Papua New Guinea, it is the only Indonesian territory situated in Oceania. Since the island is alternatively named as Papua, the region is also called West Papua ( Indonesian: Papua Barat). Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, is the western portion of the island of New Guinea controlled by Indonesia since 1962.
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