Papua New Guinea is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands. It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean above Australia and its capital is Port Moresby. It is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies out of a population of just under 7 million. English and Pidgin are the other two languages spoken in PNG. Most Papua New Guineans are Melanesians and vary widely in their physical, ethnic and cultural characteristics.

The majority of the population (75%) lives in traditional societies and practice subsistence-based agriculture. The country’s geography is diverse and in places, extremely rugged. A spine of mountains runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands region. Dense rainforests can be found in the lowland and coastal areas. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure. In some areas, airplanes are the only mode of transport.