Papua - The Black Pearl from East

Papua is the largest province of Indonesia located in the middle of the island of Papua or the most eastern part of West New Guinea (Irian Jaya). Eastern parts of the country of Papua New Guinea or East New Guinea.

Papua province had covered the entire western region of Papua, which is often referred to as West Papua, particularly by the Free Papua Movement (OPM), the nationalists who want to secede from Indonesia and establish their own state. In the reign of the Dutch East Indies colonial, this area known as Dutch New Guinea (Nederlands Nieuw-Guinea or Dutch New Guinea). Once under the control of Indonesia, the area known as West Papua province from 1969 to 1973. His name was changed to Irian Jaya by Soeharto inaugurated at the copper and gold mine of Freeport, a name still used officially until 2002.

The name was changed to the province of Papua as Law No. 21 Year 2001 on Special Autonomy. In the spring of 2004, accompanied by numerous protests (merger and Central Papua East Papua), Papua into two provinces by the government of Indonesia; the eastern part still uses the name Papua, while the west to West Irian Jaya province (a year later became West Papua). The eastern part of which is the area of Papua Province at this time.

The word itself comes from the Papuan language which means wither curly hair, a description which refers to the physical appearance of tribals