West New Britain Province

Province in Papua New Guinea

Place in Papua New Guinea

West New Britain Province

Wes Niu Briten Provins (Tok Pisin)

Flag

West New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea

Coordinates: 5°50′S 150°0′E﻿ / ﻿5.833°S 150.000°E﻿ / -5.833; 150.000
Country| Papua New Guinea
Formation| 1976
Capital| Kimbe
Districts|

List

* Kandrian-Gloucester District
* Talasea District

Government

• Governor| Sasindran Muthuvel 2012-
Area

• Total

| 20,387 km2 (7,871 sq mi)
Population

(2011 census)

• Total

| 264,264
• Density| 13/km2 (34/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC+10 (AEST)
ISO 3166 code| PG-WBK
HDI (2019)| 0.592[1]
medium · 6th of 22

West New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea on the islands of New Britain. The provincial capital is Kimbe. The area of the province is 20,387 km2 with a population of 264,264 as of the 2011 census.[2] The province's only land border is with East New Britain. There are seven major tribes, the Nakanai, Bakovi, Kove, Unea, Maleu, Arowe, speaking about 25 languages.

People from West New Britain are referred to as "Kombes" in Papua New Guinea, in metonymic reference to the significant Kove (or Kombe) people. The Kove people were reported on by the anthropologist Ann Chowning in National Geographic magazine during the 1960s. Within Papua New Guinea they are noted for their practice of superincision of the penis—circumcision is generally though inaccurately referred to among Papua New Guineans as "the Kombe cut"—but was formerly practiced in other northern coastal regions of New Guinea island and the New Guinea Islands.

The predominant religious affiliation is Roman Catholic, though there is a sizeable Anglican presence at the extreme western tip of the province and Bishop James Ayong, the retired Anglican prelate of Papua New Guinea, is originally from West New Britain.

West New Britain produces palm oil for export with large oil palm plantations on the north coast of the province especially in the Kimbe region. There are logging activities in the interior and on the south coast. The Walindi dive resort near Kimbe is a tourist destination for visitors to Papua New Guinea.

## Districts and LLGs

[edit]

There are two districts in the province. Each district has one or more Local Level Government (LLG) areas. For census purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units.[3]

District | District Capital | LLG Name

|
|

Kandrian-Gloucester District | Kandrian | Gasmata Rural
Gloucester Rural
Kandrian Coastal Rural
Kandrian Inland Rural
Kove-Kaliai Rural
Talasea District | Kimbe | Bali-Witu Rural
Bialla Rural
Hoskins Rural
Kimbe Urban
Mosa Rural
Talasea Rural

## Provincial leaders

[edit]

The province was governed by a decentralised provincial administration, headed by a Premier, from 1978 to 1995. Following reforms taking effect that year, the national government reassumed some powers, and the role of Premier was replaced by a position of Governor, to be held by the winner of the province-wide seat in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea.[4][5]

### Premiers (1978–1995)

[edit]

Premier | Term

|

Bernard Vogae | 1978–1987
Joseph Lehen | 1987–1988
Robert Lawrence | 1988–1993
Bernard Vogae | 1993–1995

### Governors (1995–present)

[edit]

Governor | Term

|

Lucas Waka | 1995–1997
Bernard Vogae | 1997–2000
Clement Nakmai | 2000–2007
Peter Humphreys | 2007–2012
Sasindran Muthuvel | 2012–present

## Members of the National Parliament

[edit]

The province and each district is represented by a Member of the National Parliament. There is one provincial electorate and each district is an open electorate.

Electorate | Member

|

West New Britain Provincial | Sasindran Muthuvel
Nakanai Open | Francis Maneke
Kandrian-Gloucester Open | Joseph Lelang
Talasea Open | Freddy R Kumai

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
2. ^ "Papua New Guinea". City Population.de. Thomas Brinkhoff. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
3. ^ "National Statistical Office of Papua New Guinea". National Statistical Office of Papua New Guinea. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
4. ^ May, R. J. "8. Decentralisation: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back". State and society in Papua New Guinea: the first twenty-five years. Australian National University. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
5. ^ "Provinces". rulers.org. Retrieved 31 March 2017.

* v
* t
* e

LLGs and Districts of New Britain, Papua New Guinea

East New Britain Province|

| Gazelle District|

* Central Gazelle Rural
* Inland Baining Rural
* Lassul Baining Rural
* Livuan/Reimber Rural
* Vunadidir/Toma Rural

|

Kokopo District|

* Bitapaka Rural
* Duke of York Rural
* Kokopo/Vunamami Urban
* Raluana Rural

Pomio District|

* Central/Inland Pomio Rural
* East Pomio Rural
* Melkoi Rural
* Sinivit Rural
* West Pomio/Mamusi Rural

Rabaul District|

* Balanataman Rural
* Kombiu Rural
* Rabaul Urban
* Watom Island Rural

West New Britain Province|

| Kandrian-Gloucester District|

* Gasmata Rural
* Gloucester Rural
* Kandrian Coastal Rural
* Kandrian Inland Rural
* Kove/Kaliai Rural

|

Talasea District|

* Bali/Witu Rural
* Bialla Rural
* Hoskins Rural
* Kimbe Urban
* Mosa Rural
* Talasea Rural

* v
* t
* e

Provinces of Papua New Guinea

Highlands Region|

* Chimbu (Simbu)
* Eastern Highlands
* Enga
* Hela
* Jiwaka
* Southern Highlands
* Western Highlands

Islands Region|

* Bougainville1
* East New Britain
* Manus
* New Ireland
* West New Britain

Momase Region|

* East Sepik
* Madang
* Morobe
* Sandaun (West Sepik)

Southern Region|

* Central
* Gulf
* Milne Bay
* Oro (Northern)
* Western
* National Capital District (Port Moresby)

* New Guinea portal
* 1 Autonomous region

Authority control databases

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* Yale LUX

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