Papua New Guinea: Current Affairs in the World’s Third Largest Island Nation
By Bianca Curtin
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The island nation of Papua New Guinea, otherwise referred to as PNG, can be found north of Australia and east of Indonesia in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. The country’s location, while allowing for it’s magnificently diverse terrain, consisting of everything from rainforests to mountain ranges to tropical beaches, also situates Papua New Guinea in the tumultuous Pacific Ring of Fire– a significant factor in the ongoing affairs of this highly populous and rural nation.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions frequently affect the land, as demonstrated a mere three weeks ago when a 7.6 magnitude tremor induced a series of landslides that ultimately led to the deaths of at least five civilians and insurmountable infrastructural damage, especially in the more agricultural village communities. Schools, power grids, houses, roads, and even supermarkets were destroyed in the earthquake’s aftermath, captured by Papua New Guineans everywhere as they’ve taken to social media to raise global awareness and call for external supports.
With over a third of the nation’s nine million peoples living below the poverty line, and a GINI Index of approximately 75% (World Bank, 2017), the region’s recurrent seismic activity creates an enormous obstacle to overall economic stability. PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape –who was just re-elected this August– claims to be handling the situation. Only the future will tell.