🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is one of the world's most culturally and linguistically diverse countries — 10 million people speaking over 840 languages (about 12% of all languages on earth). GDP is about $30 billion. The country occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, the world's second-largest island. PNG has massive natural resources — gold, copper, oil, gas, and timber — but most of the population lives in rural subsistence communities with limited access to services. The LNG project operated by ExxonMobil has been a major revenue source since 2014. The highlands were only contacted by the outside world in the 1930s, and some communities remain extremely isolated.

Mining and petroleum account for about 80% of exports. Gold (from mines like Porgera and Ok Tedi), copper, and LNG are the main earners. Australia is the largest aid donor and trade partner. Agriculture (coffee, cocoa, palm oil, copra) employs about 85% of the population. The kina has been weak, and the central bank maintains capital controls. Infrastructure is minimal — most of the country is inaccessible by road, and air travel is the primary means of reaching many communities.

PNG's tribal cultures include the Asaro Mudmen, who cover themselves in grey mud and wear terrifying masks, and the Huli Wigmen, who grow elaborate wigs from their own hair over 18 months. The country's birds of paradise — 38 of the 42 known species are found here — perform some of the most elaborate mating dances in the animal kingdom. PNG has the world's largest butterfly, Queen Alexandra's birdwing, with a wingspan of 31 cm.

PNG's resource wealth and cultural uniqueness are extraordinary, but the governance and infrastructure challenges are immense. The LNG expansion could bring significant revenue, but ensuring it reaches the population is the perennial challenge.