What is the currency of Papua New Guinea?

The currency of Papua New Guinea is the Papua New Guinean kina. Its international currency code is PGK, and the symbol used for the kina is K.

The kina was introduced on 19 April 1975, shortly before Papua New Guinea became independent from Australia. It circulated alongside the Australian dollar until the end of 1975; from 1 January 1976, the Australian dollar was no longer legal tender. The Bank of Papua New Guinea is responsible for issuing the country’s currency.

One kina is divided into 100 toea. The word kina comes from Kuanua, a language of the Tolai people, and refers to a pearl shell that was historically important in trade in coastal and Highland regions. Papua New Guinea’s notes have included polymer issues, while coins include toea denominations and kina coins. A frequent mistake is choosing the Australian dollar because of Papua New Guinea’s colonial history, but the kina has been the national currency since 1975. It is also separate from the Fijian dollar and Solomon Islands dollar.