Port Moresby, capital city and biggest population center of Papua New Guinea, located on the southern coast of New Guinea island, on Paga Point between Fairfax Harbour and Walter Bay of the Gulf of Papua. Port Moresby is also the capital of the Central District of Papua New Guinea. The city is surrounded by rubber plantations and experimental livestock and dairy farms. Its exports are copra, coffee, rubber, plywood, timber, and gold. Sawmilling, brewing, tobacco processing, and the manufacture of handicrafts and concrete are the principal industries, and fishing is important. Port Moresby is the site of government offices, the territorial museum, the University of Papua New Guinea (1965), the Institute of National Affairs, and sports facilities. Ela Beach, on the southern side of the point, offers excellent bathing.
Local geography creates a microclimate in Port Moresby. Because the city is in the rain shadow of the Owen Stanley Range, it receives less than 1,270 mm (less than 50 in) of precipitation per year, far less than the average rainfall on the island of New Guinea. The dry climate created by the rain shadow leads to occasional drought and drinking-water shortages, but the mountains also shield the city from the heavy rains that regularly sweep across the rest of the region from May to November. With offshore protection provided by coral reefs, the rain shadow helps insulate the harbor from harsh weather approaching from the northwest.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Port Moresby Information info
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