Indonesia vs. Papua New Guinea
Geography
| Indonesia | Papua New Guinea | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean | Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia |
| Geographic coordinates | 5 00 S, 120 00 E | 6 00 S, 147 00 E |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Oceania |
| Area | total: 1,904,569 sq km land: 1,811,569 sq km water: 93,000 sq km | total: 462,840 sq km land: 452,860 sq km water: 9,980 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than three times the size of Texas | slightly larger than California |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,958 km border countries (3): Malaysia 1881 km, Papua New Guinea 824 km, Timor-Leste 253 km | total: 824 km border countries (1): Indonesia 824 km |
| Coastline | 54,716 km | 5,152 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines | territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm measured from claimed archipelagic baselines |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands | tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation |
| Terrain | mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains | mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Puncak Jaya 4,884 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 367 m | highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 667 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver | gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries |
| Land use | agricultural land: 31.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 13% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 12.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 6.1% (2018 est.) forest: 51.7% (2018 est.) other: 17.1% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 2.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.) forest: 63.1% (2018 est.) other: 34.3% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 67,220 sq km (2012) | 0 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | occasional floods; severe droughts; tsunamis; earthquakes; volcanoes; forest fires volcanism: Indonesia contains the most volcanoes of any country in the world - some 76 are historically active; significant volcanic activity occurs on Java, Sumatra, the Sunda Islands, Halmahera Island, Sulawesi Island, Sangihe Island, and in the Banda Sea; Merapi (2,968 m), Indonesia's most active volcano and in eruption since 2010, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; on 22 December 2018, a large explosion and flank collapse destroyed most of the 338 m high island of Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) and generated a deadly tsunami inundating portions of western Java and southern Sumatra leaving more than 400 dead; other notable historically active volcanoes include Agung, Awu, Karangetang, Krakatau (Krakatoa), Makian, Raung, Sinabung, and Tambora; see note 2 under "Geography - note" | active volcanism; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis volcanism: severe volcanic activity; Ulawun (2,334 m), one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Rabaul (688 m) destroyed the city of Rabaul in 1937 and 1994; Lamington erupted in 1951 killing 3,000 people; Manam's 2004 eruption forced the island's abandonment; other historically active volcanoes include Bam, Bagana, Garbuna, Karkar, Langila, Lolobau, Long Island, Pago, St. Andrew Strait, Victory, and Waiowa; see note 2 under "Geography - note" |
| Environment - current issues | large-scale deforestation (much of it illegal) and related wildfires cause heavy smog; over-exploitation of marine resources; environmental problems associated with rapid urbanization and economic development, including air pollution, traffic congestion, garbage management, and reliable water and waste water services; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage | rain forest loss as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; unsustainable logging practices result in soil erosion, water quality degredation, and loss of habitat and biodiversity; large-scale mining projects cause adverse impacts on forests and water quality (discharge of heavy metals, cyanide, and acids into rivers); severe drought; inappropriate farming practices accelerate land degradion (soil erosion, siltation, loss of soil fertility); destructive fishing practices and coastal pollution due to run-off from land-based activities and oil spills |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography - note | note 1: according to Indonesia's National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping, the total number of islands in the archipelago is 13,466, of which 922 are permanently inhabited (Indonesia is the world's largest country comprised solely of islands); the country straddles the equator and occupies a strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean note 2: Indonesia is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire; 80% of tsunamis, caused by volcanic or seismic events, occur within the "Pacific Ring of Fire" note 3: despite having the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia is the most heavily forested region on earth after the Amazon | note 1: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; generally east-west trending highlands break up New Guinea into diverse ecoregions; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast note 3: Papua New Guinea is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire |
| Total renewable water resources | 2,018,700,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.) | 801 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | major concentration on the island of Java, which is considered one of the most densely populated places on earth; of the outer islands (those surrounding Java and Bali), Sumatra contains some of the most significant clusters, particularly in the south near the Selat Sunda, and along the northeastern coast near Medan; the cities of Makasar (Sulawesi), Banjarmasin (Kalimantan) are also heavily populated | population concentrated in the highlands and eastern coastal areas on the island of New Guinea; predominantly a rural distribution with only about one-fifth of the population residing in urban areas |
Source: CIA Factbook
