Question 1

True or false: The official languages of Papua New Guinea are English and French.

Accepted Answer

False. Official languages are English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu. French is not official; it's a former German and Australian territory.

Question 2

True or false: The island of New Guinea is the second largest island in the world, after Greenland.

Accepted Answer

True. New Guinea is indeed the second largest island (after Greenland), split between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

Question 3

True or false: Papua New Guinea was a British colony until it gained independence in 1975.

Accepted Answer

False. It was administered by Australia (not Britain) after WWI, first as a League of Nations mandate, then as a UN trust territory.

Question 4

True or false: The national currency of Papua New Guinea is the Papua New Guinean dollar.

Accepted Answer

False. The currency is the kina, not the dollar. The kina was introduced in 1975, replacing the Australian dollar.

Question 5

True or false: Papua New Guinea has over 800 indigenous languages, making it the most linguistically diverse country on Earth.

Accepted Answer

True. With more than 800 languages spoken by about 9 million people, PNG holds the record for linguistic diversity per capita.

Question 6

True or false: Papua New Guinea is located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere.

Accepted Answer

True. All of Papua New Guinea lies south of the equator. The northernmost point, Mussau Island, is at approximately 1°23′ S latitude, well within the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 7

True or false: Papua New Guinea has no roads connecting its capital, Port Moresby, to any other major city.

Accepted Answer

True. Due to rugged terrain, Port Moresby is isolated by land; travel to other cities requires air or sea transport.

Question 8

True or false: Papua New Guinea is home to the Hooded Pitohui, one of the world's few known poisonous birds.

Accepted Answer

True. The Hooded Pitohui secretes a neurotoxin in its skin and feathers, a rare trait among birds. Only a handful of poisonous bird species are known, most from Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea Trivia Questions