Possibly, the first poselentsy have arrived to area present Papua – New Guinea on the sea from South East Asia apprx. 30 thousand years ago when New Guinea, Australia and Tasmania have been connected by overland bridges and represented a uniform file of a land. These people, carriers of Papuan languages, attended to hunting and collecting, and it is ready later, probably, have begun okulturivat and to grow up some plants. The second significant wave of population shift has occurred approximately 6 thousand years ago. The newcomers speaking on avstronezijskih languages, have introduced more perfect economic-cultural traditions. On New Guinea they have started clearing of damp tropical woods and drainage of bogs in intermountain hollows to cultivate batat, taro and other agricultural crops brought from South East Asia. There were narrowly specialised communities of potters, saltworkers, builders of a canoe, kamnetesov. Inhabitants of coastal areas were skilful seafarers and regularly made travel on the big canoes to distant islands, offering there the items and ornaments.
To the Portuguese and Spanish merchants directed to the East Indies, coast of New Guinea became known since 16 centuries Behind them the Dutch, French and English expeditions have followed. The number of the foreign ships coming into these waters, has increased in connection with the basis of the British colony in Australia in the end of 18 centuries and by whaling development in Pacific ocean in 19 centuries In 1847 Catholic missionaries were justified on island Murua (Vudlark), possessed in the sea Solomonovom, and dealers and travellers have come into contacts to many coastal tribes. However long time Europeans could not get into internal areas of New Guinea with its crossed relief, dense woods and extensive bogs – malaria nurseries. Besides, local residents had bad reputation kannibalov.
In 1872 London missionary company has based mission on islands in passage Torresovom, and then – at southern coast of New Guinea. Vesliansky metodistskaja mission has been created on islands of the Duke of York in 1875, and Catholic mission – in the east of New Britain in 1882. Other Europeans getting into this area, were guided by more terrestrial promptings: they began to trade with natives, acquiring kopru and trepangs, have attended to a craft of pearls and bowls or have directed on search of legendary gold of the Southern seas. Though for job on plantations of Queensland, Fidji and samoa basically employed melanezijtsev from islands Solomonovyh and New Gebrid, recruiters have not bypassed the attention and inhabitants of coastal and internal areas modern Papua – New Guinea. Heightened interest to this territory was shown by Australia, and to 1883 Queensland annexed east part of New Guinea, operating ostensibly on behalf of the Great Britain. However because of pressure of Australia and taking into consideration intentions of Germany to create the Pacific empire, the Great Britain in 1884 has seized a southeast part of New Guinea with the next islands and the British New Guinea has created there a colony under the name. Germany has attached to the empire a northeast part of New Guinea and island to the east from it; this colony has received the name the German New Guinea.
The German administration tried to adjust trade with the colony, however realisations of projects of creation of commercial productions interfered a malaria and the difficulties connected with a pacification of local tribes and hiring of a labour, especially on coastal lowlands. Nevertheless the German companies have developed production kopry on plantations on Bismarck archipelago. Then plantations have appeared and on an island Bougainville. The German colonial authorities it is strict and even rigidly concerned to melanezijtsam, but at the same time aspired to pass them practical knowledge. The German Catholic and Protestant missionaries were guided by idea, that their efforts promote "education" of natives.
Missionaries stirred up the activity and in the British New Guinea which was considered maloperspektivnoj as territory. In 1888 on Louisiade archipelago gold has been found, and hundreds Australian staratelej have directed in internal areas of New Guinea. In 1920th years it was possible to find out rich gold-bearing scatterings on the rivers Bulolo. In 1906 British New Guinea it has been passed Australia and it is renamed into Territory Papua. With 1908 on 1940 governor Hjubert Marri attended to its affairs.
In the First World War beginning in 1914 German New Guinea it has been occupied by the Australian armies. After the end of war Australia has received from League of the nations the mandate on management of the former German colony which began to be called Territory New Guinea. In the Australian property have passed also the German plantations and selling companies. Plantatsionnoe the economy on this mandated territory, unlike Papua, successfully developed up to an economic crisis of 1930th years.
The next 20 years starateli, missionaries and government officials have directed in extensive intermountain valleys of New Guinea. The population of coastal areas and the islands, attending basically the subsistence economy, by degrees began to put into circulation cash crops. However development of the commodity-money circulation was promoted more by the men employed on a plantation or gold mines for a modest wages and a food. Religious missions gave melanezijtsam some education and rendered them medical aid. To the Second World War all these changes by degrees occurred on plains, but mentioned mountain areas a little.
In 1942 Japanese of an army have seized northern part of New Guinea, a part of Bismarck archipelago and an island Bougainville. They occupied some areas within four years. Other territory present Papua – New Guinea remained under the Australian control. During war on New Guinea have visited over one million Australian and American military men. The indigenous population part, especially in a valley of the river Sepik and on Bougainville, has hardly suffered because of fighting operations and bombardments. In separate places, for example on an island Manus, large military bases have been placed. Inhabitants of mountain areas war has concerned a little.
After war the northeast part of New Guinea has passed under management of Australia as the ward United Nations territory, and in 1949 has been united with Papua. The new administrative unit has received name Papua – New Guinea. Australia tried to promote social and economic development of the country and to increase well-being melanezijskogo the population. Measures on centralised direction strengthening with the participation representatives of local population have been taken. The special attention has been given the overpopulated mountain areas, contacts with which have been established rather recently. In 1953 the first road from coast through pass to Cash desks in mountains has been constructed. The administration aspired to improve health services and education systems, considerable job in this direction was spent by religious missions.
In 1964 general election has been spent and the legislative Assembly where the majority of places was taken by natives is generated. There were new government agencies, and old have been transformed. The laws striking the rights melanezijtsev, have been cancelled. In the same 1964 in Port Moresby university Papua – New Guinea has opened.
In 1970-1980th years the mining industry became the basic lever of economic development of the country. In 1972 operation of deposits of copper and gold on Bougainville where on change plantatsionnomu to an economy more modern branch with high technologies has come has begun. Similar tendencies were showed in some other areas Papua – New Guinea where new roads were constructed, cities and ports.
In 1967 the national political party «Pangu pati» has been based. After elections 1972 it has formed the coalition government led by Michael T.Somare, resolutely achieving granting to the independence country. This purpose has been reached on September, 16th 1975.
Political conditions in the young state have become complicated in connection with secession movement on an island Bougainville. Roots of this movement go back to 1884 when Germany has attached to the colony New Guinea a part of islands Solomonovyh, having infringed ethnolinguistic communications of the population of this archipelago. Separative moods soared many years in air and were showed on the eve of declaration of independence Papua – New Guinea. Creation of the government of a province of Northern Solomon Islands in 1976 has relieved the tension, but has not solved the problem. Position has become aggravated in connection with building of a huge complex on extraction of copper ore on Bougainville. As an occasion to the confrontation which has flashed in 1988, the discontent of local land owners in the sizes of indemnification received from the mining company «Bougainville Copper» has originally served. Then there were also other claims, and the demand in the end has been made to grant Bougainville independence. As a result of collisions of groups of local population with army divisions and police Papua – New Guinea were lost 15-20 thousand persons from both parties. Numerous attempts to reach calmness in this area long time remained without results. Only in 1998 peace talks have begun and there was a hope of their safe end.
