The majority of the population live in indigenous societies and practice subsistence-based agriculture. These societies and clans have some degree of distinct acknowledgement within the nation’s constitutional framework. The PNG Constitution (Preamble 5(4)) expresses the wish for traditional villages and communities to remain as viable units of Papua New Guinean society2, and for active steps to be taken in their preservation.

The PNG legislature has enacted various laws in which a type of tenure called “customary land title” is recognised, meaning that the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples have some legal basis to inalienable tenure. This customary land notionally covers most of the usable land in the country (some 97% of total land area)3; the remainder is either in private freehold or the property of the PNG Government.

Its geography is similarly diverse, and in places extremely rugged. A spine of mountains runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands region. Dense rainforests can be found in the lowland and coastal areas. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure. In some areas, planes are the only mode of transport. After being colonized by three external powers since 1888, Papua New Guinea gained its independence in 1975.