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Eclectus parrot (female)
photo: WWF-Canon / Martin HARVEY |
Few places on earth rival the diversity of New Guinea, and it has been said that the island "contains more strange and new and beautiful natural objects than any other part of the globe." The largest and highest tropical island in the world, New Guinea is split between the countries of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the east and the Indonesia province of Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) in the west.
The island is blessed with remarkably diverse forests that are home to a rich variety species and cover about 65 percent of the land area of New Guinea. In fact, New Guinea has the largest remaining intact block of tropical forests in the Asia-Pacific region and is the largest tropical rain forest after the Amazon and the Congo. The island's coastal systems contain some of the most pristine and largest tracts of mangroves in the world, while the lowlands and mountain areas contain as much as 124 million acres of tropical forests, notable for their highly rich island plant and animal life, much of which exists nowhere else in the world.
WWF has a long history in New Guinea, working to preserve its forests and wildlife while helping its unique, diverse culture survive a multitude of threats. Whether doing wildlife studies in the depths of the Kikori River Basin, delivering thousands of vanilla bean saplings to the people of the Sepik region, or helping manage Lorentz National Park, WWF's efforts across this vast island are making a long-term difference.
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