Culture of Papua New Guinea

People typically live in villages or dispersed hamlets which rely on the subsistence farming of yams and taro.

They paint themselves and dress up with feathers, pearls and animal skins to represent birds, trees or mountain spirits.

[citation needed] Christian missionaries disapproved of Papuan folk music throughout the colonial period of the country's history.

Vibrant and colorful costumes adorn the dancers, while a leader and a chorus sing a staggered approach to the same song, producing a fugue-like effect.

By the end of the '70s, a local recording industry had appeared and artists like Sanguma and, later, George Telek, began mixing native and Western styles like rock music and jazz.

Ulli Beier, a lecturer in English Literature at the University of Papua New Guinea since 1967, was crucial in encouraging young writers and getting their work published.

Kovave ceased publication in 1974 but was replaced by the journal New Guinea Writing although this concentrated on folk tales.

Those identified as being in the first wave of contemporary art in Papua New Guinea are: Mathias Kauage OBE (1944–2003),[3] Timothy Akis, Jakupa Ako and Joe Nalo, all from the tough urban area of Port Moresby.

Other noted Papua New Guinean visual artists include Larry Santana, Martin Morububuna and Heso Kiwi.

[4] Sports are hugely popular in Papua New Guinea, and its citizens participate in and watch a wide variety.

PNG has the largest number of Australian rules footballers outside of Australia, and has one of the fastest growing junior development programs.

The "Mosquitos", currently captained by Navu Maha, are the national team and were runners up in the Australian Football International Cup, in both 2003 (to Ireland) and 2005 (to New Zealand).

In the Trobriand Islands, cricket has become fused with the local culture, and a game played with stones instead of a ball and unlimited fielders has developed.