Do you keep thinking about how far is West Papua from Australia? Or, why did the island of New Guinea separate from Australia? These two regions share quite a history. Australia received a mandate from the League of Nations after World War One. It delivered a message to Australia to run an administration of German New Guinea, together with Papua as the TPNG (Territory of Papua and New Guinea).
Australia also shares a history with the Dutch administration during World War Two. Then, Australia joined hands with the Dutch colonial administration to take hold of the island in 1949. The following year, Australia became the initial initiator in making an administrative cooperation policy between Australia and the Dutch on New Guinea Island. This joint effort arrived at its peak when an Australian representative at the United Nations shared a notion about the seriousness of this policy.
Near the end of World War Two, however, New Guinea Island’s administration fell into the Netherlands’ sole hand. However, Indonesia, which fought against colonization, succeeded in claiming all Dutch colonial territories. Thus, West New Guinea, now West Papua Province, became a part of the Indonesia administration in May 1963. Indonesia saw the country as the legitimate heir of the land of Papua. This claim was further approved by the result of the Act of Free Choice in 1969 granted by the United Nations.
The shared history of West Papua and Australia led to friendly diplomatic relations between the Indonesian and Australian governments. This was because Australia fully supported Indonesia’s claim of independence during the end of World War Two. The two countries have had no intention of breaking the current political relationship. Now, let us learn more about how far is West Papua from Australia.
Learning Geography, How Far is West Papua From Australia?
The accurate distance from West Papua Province to Sydney, Australia, would be 4090.50 kilometers or 2541.72 miles. To reach the city of Australia from West Papua, one must take a flight to Jakarta City first because there is no direct flight to Australia from West Papua. Then, it will connect with another flight to Sydney. The flight from Jakarta to Sydney takes 6 hours and 55 minutes.
The island of Papua used to be a part of the Australian continent, located in the northern section. Together, they are a part of a continental island. Yet, the island of Papua got separated due to the changes in sea level and tectonic activity. The tectonic movements, such as the collision of the earth’s plates and the earth’s crust, have caused many islands to be separated.
Just another trivia fact, is the total distance from Merauke to Sydney way closer than the distance from Merauke to Jakarta? The space to reach Sydney from Merauke is 3022.38 kilometers or 1878.02 miles. Meanwhile, the distance from Merauke to Jakarta is 3725.95 kilometers or 2315.20 miles.
Is it True That the Australian Continent is Moving Closer Toward Indonesia?
There was a viral social media post that said the continent of Australia was currently getting closer to Indonesia. The Australian continent was moving to the north, closer to the eastern part of Indonesia. Is this information actual, or is there some explanation regarding this matter?
It is true that the continent of Australia keeps moving further in the north direction toward Indonesia. However, this movement has been happening for ages. Furthermore, the Australian continent has been moving closer in the order of millimeters (mm) each year. Thus, it will take a very long time for the continent to reach or enter Indonesian territory.
The explanation above answers the question: how far is West Papua from Australia? In short, the distance from West Papua to Sydney is 4090.50 kilometers or 2541.72 miles.
