Papua New Guinea Independence Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Papa New Guinea

The 16th of September is Papua New Guinea Independence Day, the official federal holiday commemorating the nation’s independence from Australia. Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth nation, with Elizabeth II serving as its monarch. Although the constitutional convention required the drafting of both the nation’s and Australia’s initial constitutions, this was not to be. The monarch system was adopted by the nation’s creators because they believed that imperial honours were prestigious and therefore imperial honours had prestige. Bob Dadae currently holds the position of Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, which is held by the monarch.

The background of Papua New Guinea Independence Day

Papua New Guinea’s history dates back to the 18th century. The dual name of Papua New Guinea is a consequence of the country’s complex administrative history preceding independence. Beginning in 1884, Germany governed the northern portions of Papua New Guinea as a colony known as German New Guinea for several decades. Approximately thirty years later, in 1914, following the outbreak of World War I, Australian forces captured and occupied German New Guinea. Germany and the Central Powers lost World War II, and as a result, the League of Nations (now the United Nations) authorised the area’s administration to remain with Australia as a ‘Mandate Territory of the League of Nations,’ which became known as the Territory of New Guinea.

The southern portion of Papua-New Guinea became a British protectorate in November 1884. As British New Guinea, it was annexed by Britain in 1888, along with a number of adjacent islands. Following the United Kingdom’s colonisation of Australia in 1902, Papua’s administration was effectively transferred to the British. The territory was officially renamed the Territory of Papua upon the passage of the Papua Act in 1905, and Australian administration commenced in 1906. In opposition to establishing an Australian mandate in the former German New Guinea, the League of Nations determined that Papua was an external territory of the Australian Commonwealth and thus remained under British possession under the law.

This legal status meant that until 1949, Papua and New Guinea had completely separate administrations that were both under Australian control. This distinction in legal status contributed to the difficulty of organising the country’s legal system after its independence. In September 1975, Papua New Guinea was granted independence, after which the monarchical administrative system was maintained.

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5 fascinating facts about Papa New Guinea

In this nation, which has a very diverse population, 851 different languages are spoken.

At least 70% of the original forest cover remains in Papua New Guinea, which is home to the world’s third-largest rainforest.

There are approximately one thousand cultural communities in Papua New Guinea.

The Ring of Fire encircles the Pacific Ocean and is a region where numerous volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

The average temperature in Papua New Guinea is above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, making the country tropical.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA INDEPENDENCE DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	September 16	Saturday
2024	September 16	Monday
2025	September 16	Tuesday
2026	September 16	Wednesday
2027	September 16	Thursday