Papua New Guinea (PNG) is part of a larger island with the western half being New Guinea. It is located north of Australia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world with 853 languages listed and a population of 7 million with only 18% living in the cities. Nearly 40% live a self-sustainable lifestyle with no access to global capital. It is thought to be one of the least explored countries in the world with potentially many undiscovered species of fauna and flora and possibly even groups of uncontacted people.

 Papua New Guinea was under Australia administration for 60 years until 1975 when it separated and became a Commonwealth Nation in its own right. It is 462,840 km2 which is approximately twice the size of the UK. It is very rugged with the highest peak, Mt Wilhelm being 4509m and there are a number of active volcanoes. In the mountainous areas, lush tropical rainforests dominate the landscape, while extensive wetlands grace the areas around the Sepik and Fly Rivers. Some areas are only accessible by foot or airplane.