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Irian
Jaya / West Papua is a province in the easternmost, the largest
area of Indonesia. It is an area of the world so remote, rugged
and diverse but its people can convey such a sense of unity and
friendship. You will find them very warm and accommodating.
There are over 250 different tribes of Irian Jaya, each with
their own language, lifestyle and culture. The traditional of
the indigenous in Jayawijaya and Paniai regencies will remind
you of the stone age besides those in the coastal areas with
their unique and nicest attractions. The original nature still
offers you to see the incredible wilderness wonderland with its
contents, such as the greatest tract of undisturbed tropical
rainforest in the world, the extreme diversity of fauna and
flora and one of only three places in the world with equatorial
glacier fields. The other unique of Irian Jaya is that Irian
Jaya has over 650 different species of birds, among others are
birds of paradise, bower birds, crowned pigeons, cassowary,
etc., as well as the beauty of the colorful marine life. Welcome
to Irian Jaya.
Jayapura
is the capital and the biggest city of this eastern most
province. It is a neat and pleasant city , built on the slope of
a hill overlooking the bay. General Douglas Mc Arthur's World
War II quarters still stand here. The Museum Jayapura is located
inside the Cendrawasih University campus. Tanjung Ria beach
known as base the Allies during the WW II, is a popular holiday
resort with facilities for water sports.
GEOGRAPHY
Area
: 421,981 sq. km. Capital : Jayapura. Borders:
Pacific Ocean on the north, Arafuru Sea on the south,
Papua New Guinea on the east, Province of Maluku on the
west. Phypsical Features : This province is made
up of half of the entire island of Irian (Guinea). The
area is covered by a mountain range with steep slopes
Warenai, Waipoga, Maro, Kamundan, Abais, and Kumbe. Mountains
: Jayawijaya with Jaya Peak, Trikora, Yamin, mountain
range of Kaimana in Fak-Fak, mountain range of Arfak in
Monokwari, mountain range of Ciklops in Jayapura. Lakes
: Sentani, Ronbebai, Paniai and Tigi. Humidity :
84%. Rainfall : between 2,000-3,000 mm per year.
FLORA
AND FAUNA
Flora:
Metroxilon, rhizopora, casuarina and araukaria. Fauna
: Marsupial, phallangers, macropus, petaurus, paradise
birds, casuarius, parrots, cockatoos and crocodile.
POPULATION
2,219,500
(2000). Density : 6 persons per sq. km (2000).
RELIGIOUS
FOLLOWERS
Moslems
(15%), Protestants (63%), Roman Catholics (20%), Hindus
(0.1%) and Buddhist (0.8%).
PRIMARY
PRODUCTS
Agriculture – Food Crops: Rice, corn, peanut and
soybean. Commercial crops : Coconut, clove, rubber,
cacao, coffee and nutmeg. Livestock : Cows, buffaloes,
horses, goats, sheep, pigs and rabbit. Fishery – Fish
Products : Tuna, skipjack tuna, bastern little tuna,
anchovy, shrimp, mullet, common carp and tilapia.
Forestry – Forest Products: Rattan, resin, log, sawn
timber and mangrove wood. Mining: petroleum, copper and
LNG. Handicrafts : Carving and plaiting.
PLACE
OF INTEREST
Baliem Valley, Korido Coast, Jayawijaya Peak, Lake Garam
and several traditional cultures of the various ethnic
groups. Hotel Facilities : 79 hotels (1994), consisting
of star-rated and non-star.
The beauty of
the views, arts and cultures have been internationally famous especially for the
adventurers. They can come and see traditional and indigenous people of the
island such as: Aghu, Airosumaghe, Awyu, Citak, Iwur, Kimaghama, Somahai, Asmat,
Marind, Bianmarind, Mombum, Moraori, Kaeti, Kanum, Kauwol, Kayagar, Kombai,
Koneraw, Korowai, Kotogut, Maklew, Ndom, Niggarum, Pisa, Riantana, Sawi,
Siaga-Yenimu, Tamagario, Tamnim, Wambon, and Wanggom tribal communities. They
live in the jungle and spread out in the regencies of Merauke, Jayawijaya,
Jayapura, Paiai, Fak-Fak, Manokwari, Sorong, Yapen Waropen, Biak and Numfor.
TRADITIONAL
HOUSE; RUMAH KAKI SERIBU
This house is particularly built by the Arfak ethnic group. Rare and unique in
design, this type of house has many poles to support it. For this reason, the
house is called "Rumah Kaki Seribu" (House with one thousand feet).
Its walls are made of tree barks; its roof is made of coarse grass. This house
can be found in remote places like Kebar and Anggi.
A S M A T
If Bali is famous for the Balinese, Irian with its Asmat people. This tribe is
famous for its woodcarving. It is unique in the sense that the carving they
produce, they only use very primitive tools.
FLOATING
VILLAGE
The local people build their houses on the water along the beaches, but like the
other Irianese communities, the staple food here is sago. A kind of
traditionally prepared food from sago is called sago forno.
TRADITIONAL HOUSE
Usually called
ADAT HOUSE, erected with no walls to separate the rooms and is decorated with
Sentani motifs, this house is used for "adat" meetings. It is about 45
kilometers from Jayapura. Accessible by land.
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