There are many West Papua interesting facts that worth to know. Papua is one of the provinces in Indonesia which is located in the easternmost region of Indonesia. The eastern hemisphere is the country of Papua New Guinea.
Previously, the entire island of Papua was called Irian Jaya. Then in 2003, the Indonesian Papua region was divided into two, namely the provinces of Papua and West Papua.
In fact, Papua province is the largest province in Indonesia with an area of roughly 320 thousand km square. Not only that, the Papuan people themselves have a variety of different ethnicities and each has its own characteristics.
The way of life of the people of coastal Papua, for example, will be different from the way of life of the Papuan people who live in the mountains, as well as the way of life of rural and urban communities.
Languages Spoken in Papua
One of West Papua interesting facts is their language. Indonesia is rich in various ethnic groups and languages. But in Papua itself, the language is actually still widely divided. Papuans are generally divided into two major groups according to the division of the language used.
The two languages are Austronesian and Non-Austronesian. The languages belonging to the Austronesian group are called Papuan languages.
These two languages are parent languages, which are classified as local languages with approximately 250 languages, as quoted from the Journal of Bureaucratic Ecology, Vol.1, No.1. Cenderawasih University.
West Papua Interesting Facts; 7 Papuan Indigenous Territories
According to customary law, Papua is divided into 7 customary and cultural areas. Region I is called the Tabi or Mamta customary area which includes the tribes that inhabit the plains of the Mamberamo River to the Tami River.
Next is region II called the Saireri cultural customary area, namely the tribes that inhabit the Saireri Bay area. Region III is called the Doberay cultural customary area, which includes the tribes that inhabit the bird’s head area.
Region IV is a traditional area of Bomberai culture which includes the tribes that inhabit the Bintuni Bay area to Mimika. Region V is called the Ha-Anim cultural area, which is the area of the tribes who inhabit the area between Asmat to Kondo (Merauke).
Region VI is the traditional area of the La Pago culture which includes the tribes that inhabit the mountainous area of Eastern Central, and Region VII is the traditional area of Me Pago culture which includes the tribes that inhabit the western central mountainous area.
Leadership System in Papua
The leadership system used in Papua is divided into two, namely the royal system and the mixed system. In the royal system, the scope of the king’s power may include several villages, both linguistically not from one lineage or in different villages.
This culture is the result of acculturation between culture originating from Papua and culture originating from Maluku. While the mixed form of leadership system.
The leader is not always on the lineage but can occasionally turn to other people who have the ability to solve problems that arise in certain situations.
Land Tenure System
The land tenure system in Papua also has a strong relationship between humans and their land. The linkages in question include kinship, power, leadership, sources of livelihood, rites and the spirit realm.
As reported by the 2014 Journal of Public Administration Volume 11 Number 2, this is what is called the ulayat rights relationship which is “religious magic”.
This relationship makes the land to be lived as an integral part of the person’s personality. This creates a very strong emotional bond with the land, and this does not mean that the land is considered sacred but that the human relationship with the land is sacred.
Those are some of facts about Papua that tourists may not know about. Those West Papua interesting facts will help you to understand more about them.
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Description: There are many West Papua interesting facts that worth to knowthat will help you understand about the people and their customs