West Papua is one of the islands at the eastern tip of Indonesia. The province is famous in the world’s eyes for its natural beauty, natural sources, and culture. Have you heard of the spectacular wonders that exist in the Papua region? Yes, this province is one of the natural wealth seen. Let’s look at some interesting facts about land conditions, culinary, and the language.
Geography and Land Condition in Papua
The capital of this province is Manokwari, with the motto Cintaku Negeriku (symbol of Cassowary). More precisely, this province is located in the north, directly adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, in the east, it is now bordered by Papua Province. If you go south, you will find the Banda Sea. Meanwhile, the west area is adjacent to North Maluku Province.
After knowing the location of this province, of course, you feel curious about the conditions of this island which is famous for its tropical forests. The land condition in Papua Province is primarily cliffs and steep slopes. Many villages in West Papua are challenging to reach with steep terrain and mountainous conditions. It makes Papua rarely touched by the outside world.
Altogether, there are five mountains and four mountainous regions in this Province. One of the most famous for its steep characteristics is Mount Kwoko. Being the highest mountain, the peak is located at 3,000 m above sea level in Sorong Regency. It makes the condition of this mountain so steep when accessed from the lowlands.
Not only that but there are also beautiful lakes in mountainous areas and around cities in this province. It is one of the unique attractions if you want to visit Papua as a vacation location. The natural scenery is so stunning that it becomes a mandatory list in a mountainous area.
If you are a beach lover, you can choose another destination in the lake plains. One of the best choices is to visit Cenderawasih Bay National Park in the charming Teluk Wondama Regency. Lastly, don’t miss the beauty of the Raja Ampat Islands in Raja Ampat Regency. The location is so stunning because it has 610 islands with the capital city Waisai, West Papua.
The conditions of the plains in Papua also provide several life opportunities for diverse flora and fauna. Some species are rarely found thanks to protected tropical forests and forest conservation. Even some species can only be seen in the tropical forests of Papua at certain moments. This factor makes Papua very rich in fauna.
In addition, the fauna icon in Papua Province is the Red Cendrawasih (Cenderawasih), with unique characteristics. Most red Cendrawasih birds live separately from their highland forest groups in Cenderawasih Bay. Because this animal is in a tropical forest, the red Cendrawasih is an endemic animal to Indonesia included in conservation.
On the other hand, there are also Cassowaries in Papua Province with natural beauty. Cassowaries live in inland tropical forests. The beautiful blue bird is under conservation in West Papua Province govt. As a result, if you want to see this fauna more closely, you should look for a particular moment. Now, you can ask for help from residents or your holiday tour provider.
Papuan Culinary
Meanwhile, you can find flora icons in Papua Province with matoa trees. Matoa tree is one type of tree that can produce fruit with delicacy and benefits human health. Matoa fruit has unique characteristics and shapes. This fruit is relatively tiny, with delicate outer skin when viewed from a distance.
But if you open the skin, you can see the resemblance to rambutan’s texture and sweet taste. The difference is, this fruit has a distinctive aroma and is rarely found in any part of Indonesia. So, this fruit is one thing that should not be forgotten when visiting Papua. The sweet taste of Matoa fruit must be tasted as a tourist in Papua.
In addition to fruits, Papua Province has many unique culinary delights, namely papeda. This dish will be more delicious if eaten with yellow tuna sauce. If you are fans of seafood, you will love the local caught grilled fish in Manokwari, which is so distinctive; there is also a sweet lontar cake which can be the right choice for a snack for your afternoon sweet snack.
Languages Spoken In Papua
Indonesian is the official language in the province of West Papua. Meanwhile, Papuan Malay is used as a lingua franca in this province full of natural beauty. Papuan Malay is used both for trade language purposes and in inter-ethnic communication. In addition, there are many languages , and the original era reaches 265 languages. Even so, Indonesian is the primary means of communication.
All in all, about 51.1% of the total population in the province are indigenous people. This tribe usually lives in mountainous areas and lowlands such as the coast. In detail, most of the people in this province rely on natural products because of their diverse flora and fauna. Also, Papuan use the Indonesian language for their trade and inter-tribal communication needs.
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