Papua
Pronunciation: /ˈpapwə, paˈpuːə, ˈpapjʊə/
Definition of Papua
- 1a province of Indonesia comprising most of the western part of the island of New Guinea, with some offshore islands; capital, Jayapura. Until its incorporation into Indonesia in 1963 it was known as Dutch New Guinea. Formerly called Irian Jaya, West Irian.
Origin:
named by a Portuguese navigator who visited it in 1526–7, from a Malay word meaning 'woolly-haired'