Which island is divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea?

New Guinea is the island divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Indonesia controls the island’s western portion, commonly called Western New Guinea, while Papua New Guinea occupies most of the eastern half.

The international boundary runs for about 824 kilometres, generally following the 141st meridian east before bending along part of the Fly River. The border was shaped by Dutch, British, German and Australian colonial arrangements and took its modern form when Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975.

A common mix-up is confusing New Guinea with Papua New Guinea. New Guinea is the island; Papua New Guinea is the independent country on its eastern side. Indonesia’s territory on the island includes several provinces, including Papua and West Papua. New Guinea is also the world’s second-largest island, after Greenland, and lies just north of Australia across the Torres Strait.