Port Moresby, the capital of PNG lies on Fairfax Harbour and is home to the country’s Parliament and National Museum and Art Gallery. The Museum has historical records dating back about 50,000 years and has exhibits of all kinds of arts and crafts from all over the country. Lae is Papua New Guinea’s second most important city and attracts many visitors to its excellent botanical gardens.
The culture of Papua New Guinea is many-sided and complex. It is estimated that more than 7000 different cultural groups exist in Papua New Guinea, and most groups have their own language. Because of this diversity, in which they take pride, many different styles of cultural expression have emerged; each group has created its own expressive forms in art, dance, weaponry, costumes, singing, music, architecture and much more.
In Papua New Guinea the old beliefs have blended with Christian beliefs that had been introduced in the last century, which now form unique traditions for this part of the world.
In the Trobriand Islands Good Friday is regarded as the most important religious event in the year. About mid-morning a large number of people gather for a service in the settlement of Losuia. The youth from the surrounding villages present musical and other items on an Easter theme at this service. After the service is over people divide into small groups of family and friends for feasts in various homes.