- West New Britain
Infobox Papua New Guinea Province
name = West New Britain
othername =
districts =Kandrian-Gloucester District
Talasea District
flag
capital =Kimbe
area = 21,000 km²
arearank = 10th
pop = 184,508
popdate = 2000
poprank = 13th
popdens = 8.8
governor =Peter Humphreys
governordate = 2007
map
West New Britain is a province of
Papua New Guinea on the islands ofNew Britain . The provincial capital isKimbe . The area of the province in 21,000 km², and there are 184,508 inhabitants (2000 census). West New Britain produces palm oil for export. There are seven major tribes, the Nakanai, Bakovi, Kove, Unea, Maleu, Kaulong and Arowe, speaking a total of about 25 languages.People from West New Britain are widely referred to as "Kombes" throughout Papua New Guinea, in metonymic reference to the significant Kove (or Kombe) people. The Kove people were extensively reported on by the anthropologist
Ann Chowning in "National Geographic " magazine during the 1960s and in consequence a photographic record of their traditional lifestyle has been widely disseminated. Within Papua New Guinea they are most widely noted for their practice of superincision of thepenis — circumcision is generally though inaccuratedly referred to among Papua New Guineans as "the Kombe cut" — a practice formerly also in other regions of northern coastal regions of New Guinea island and the New Guinea Islands but which has elsewhere lapsed.The predominant religious affiliation is
Roman Catholic , though there is a sizeable Anglican presence at the extreme western tip of the province and ArchbishopJames Ayong , the Anglican Primate of Papua New Guinea, is originally from West New Britain.There are substantial oil palm plantations on the north coast of the province especially in the Kimbe region, and logging activities in the interior and on the south coast. The Walindi dive resort near Kimbe is a significant tourist destination for overseas visitors to Papua New Guinea.
External links
* [http://www.tourismwestnewbritain.org.pg/index.htm Tourism West New Britain]
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