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| Capital | Manokwari |
| Governor | Abraham Octavianus Atururi |
| Area | 115,364 km2 (44,542 sq mi) |
| Population | 651,958 |
| Density | 5.7 /km2 (15 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Melanesian |
| Religion | Christianity, Islam |
| Languages | Indonesian (official) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 |
| Web site | www.papuabaratprov.go.id |
West Papua (Indonesian: Papua Barat) is an Indonesian province on the western peninsula of the island of New Guinea, west of Papua, another province of Indonesia. It is the least-populous province of Indonesia. The population of West Papua is around 800,000. Before 2007, the province was known as West Irian Jaya or Irian Jaya Barat) The province covers the Bird's Head (or Doberai) Peninsula and surrounding islands. The Papua Conflict is an ongoing long-term low-level conflict that takes place on West Papua and Papua against the Indonesian government.
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Administrative divisions
The capital of West Papua is in Manokwari. The province is administratively divided into eight regencies (kabupaten) and one city (kota):
- Fak-fak (Fak-Fak)
- Kaimana
- Manokwari
- Raja Ampat (capital Waisai)
- Sorong
- Kota Sorong (city)
- Sorong Selatan (capital Teminabuan)
- Teluk Bintuni (capital Bintuni)
- Teluk Wondama (capital Rasiei)
Administrative history
West Papua was created from the western portion of Papua province in February 2003, initially under the name of Irian Jaya Barat, and was renamed Papua Barat (West Papua) on 7 February 2007. The split remains controversial. Supporters, including those in the central government in Jakarta and immigrants to Papua from elsewhere in Indonesia, argue that the creation of the new province will help ensure the efficient management of resources and fair distribution of services. The split is widely opposed in Papua itself, where it is viewed as a violation of special autonomy laws governing Papua, and as an effort to quell the Papuan separatist movement (see History of Western New Guinea).
In November 2004, an Indonesian court agreed that the split violated Papua's autonomy laws. However, the court ruled that because the new province had already been created, it should remain separate from Papua. The ruling also prohibited the creation of another proposed province, Central Irian Jaya, because the split was not yet completed.
The province changed its name to West Papua on 7 February 2007. The new name applies from that date, but a plenary session of the provincial legislative council is required to legalise the change of name, and the government needs to then issue a regulation.[1]
Earthquake
At 4:43 a.m. local time on 3 January 2009, a powerful earthquake, 7.6 on the Richter magnitude scale, struck near the northern coast of Indonesia's largest province. A tsunami warning was initially issued but lifted within an hour of the quake.[2][3] The earthquake occurred about 150 km west-northwest of Manokwari and about 170 km east-northeast of Sorong.[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Papuan province changes name from West Irian Jaya to West Papua". Radio New Zealand International. 07 February, 2007. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=29965. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ "3 dead after powerful Indonesian earthquakes: officials". CTV.ca (CTVglobemedia). January 3, 2009. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090103/indonesia_earthquake_090103/20090103?hub=TopStories.
- ^ a b "Indonesia earthquake kills at least 2, injures 35". CNN (Cable News Network). January 3, 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/03/indonesia.earthquake/index.html.
INDONESIA: The Cost of Gold: The Hidden Payroll. Below a Mountain of Wealth, a River of Waste by Jane Perlez and Raymond Bonner, The New York Times, http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12985
External links
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