Portal:Papua New Guinea/Selected article/06, 2006
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Port Moresby, (9°30′S 147°12′E / 9.5°S 147.2°E), population 255,000 (2000), is the capital of Papua New Guinea. The city is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea.
The area on which the city was founded was first sighted by a European in 1873 by Captain John Moresby. It was named in honour of his father Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby.
In September 1975, Port Moresby became capital city of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. New government buildings were constructed at Waigani to house government departments, including a spectacular National Parliament Building, opened in 1984, which blends traditional design with modern building technology. The PNG National Museum and National Library are also located at Waigani.
The population of the Port Moresby area has expanded rapidly since independence. In 1980 the census registered 120,000 by 1990 this had increased to 195,000.
