Mount Hagen

Coordinates: 5°51′36″S 144°14′24″E / 5.86000°S 144.24000°E / -5.86000; 144.24000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the city. For the volcano which the city named is after, see Mount Hagen (volcano).
Mount Hagen
The Heart of the Highlands
Town
UTC+10 (AEST)
Main languagesMelpa, Tembka Tok Pisin, English
ClimateCfb

Mount Hagen (

Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley
in central mainland Papua New Guinea, at an elevation of 1,677 m (5,502 ft).

The Highlands Highway is the main arterial route to connect Mount Hagen with the coastal cities of Lae and Madang.

The city is named after the old eroded volcano Mount Hagen, located about 24 kilometres (15 mi) to the north-west. The volcano was named after the German colonial officer Curt von Hagen [de] (1859–1897).

History

The plane, 'Canberra', before the 1933 expedition to Mount Hagen

In 1933,

Dan Leahy, and government officer Jim Taylor conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the highlands and discovered the huge and heavily populated Wahgi Valley. A short time later they walked in with a well supplied patrol and became the first westerners to come into contact with the tribes that are now in the location of Mount Hagen. The first patrol built an airstrip at Kelua, a short distance from modern Mount Hagen. From 1934, a new airstrip, the 'Mogei drome' or 'Mogai Aerodrome', was located on a site where the future town was formed. The first flight arrived here on 1 April 1934, piloted by Bob Gurney
, with the first airmail leaving the next day. Later, this airstrip was to become the main street passing by China town and the airstrip (current) was moved 15 minutes out of town.

Culture

Each year, Mount Hagen hosts the Mount Hagen Cultural Show, one of the largest cultural events in Papua New Guinea. Various regional, provincial, even national tribal dance groups gather to celebrate their cultural heritage in the form of sing-sing. It is also one of the biggest tourist attractions of the country. Its near the Baiyer District which hosts the biggest collection of birds and wildlife in Papua New Guinea, the Baiyer River Sanctuary. The Baiyer River Sanctuary was a popular tourist attraction in the 1970's up until the mid 1990's as mismanagement of the once popular tourist attraction led to the closure of this zoo. There are four electorates in Western Highlands Province. 1. Mul Baiyer Lumusa 2. Dei Council 3. Hagen Central 4. Tambul Nebliyer. The total population of Western Highlands now stands at around 950,000.

Traditional culture and beliefs remain strong in Mount Hagen and its surrounds. In 2009, and again 2013, local women were reportedly burned alive after being accused of sorcery.[1] Recent thinking links the upsurge in such accusations with poor development outcomes in Papua New Guinea and the erosion of social capital through fear and mistrust.[2]

Transport

Tabubil, their hub, to service the Ok Tedi Mine. Air Niugini also service Mount Hagen, with regular Fokker 100 and Dash 8 services to destinations such as Port Moresby, Moro and Cairns. PNG Air
also operate regular services to and from Mt Hagen to Port Moresby, Tabubil , Kiunga and Wewak. Near the airport is Airport Hotel.

From time to time, the combination of altitude, midday temperatures and runway length restrict takeoff weights for domestic flights out of Mount Hagen.

Mount Hagen is connected via the Highlands Highway to the city of Lae and other provincial capitals such as Madang, Goroka, Wabag, Mendi and Kundiawa. The road between Mount Hagen and all these centres is theoretically sealed, although frequent landslides and general deterioration can lead to parts of the road becoming unsealed or rough.

Travel from Mt Hagen along the Highlands Highway by using the popular PMV buses which operate as taxis or hire a car from the numerous hire car companies within Mt Hagen. Because of the difficult road conditions of the Highlands Highway, it is advisable to use four-wheel drive cars.

Climate

Mount Hagen has a

subtropical highland climate (Köppen climate classification
: Cfb).

Climate data for Mount Hagen
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		21
(70) 		21
(70) 		21
(70) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72) 		22
(72)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 15
(59) 		15
(59) 		15
(59) 		15
(59) 		15
(59) 		15
(59) 		14
(57) 		14
(57) 		14
(57) 		15
(59) 		15
(59) 		15
(59) 		15
(59)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 210.0
(8.27) 		226.1
(8.90) 		221.4
(8.72) 		246.0
(9.69) 		177.6
(6.99) 		129.6
(5.10) 		89.9
(3.54) 		81.1
(3.19) 		104.1
(4.10) 		150.4
(5.92) 		194.1
(7.64) 		214.6
(8.45) 		2,044.9
(80.51)
Average rainy days 14.2 14.5 14.9 14.3 11.9 9.9 8.7 8.3 8.7 10.9 11.5 13.0 140.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 155 113 124 120 124 120 124 124 120 155 150 155 1,584
Source: https://weatherspark.com/y/144241/Average-Weather-in-Mount-Hagen-Papua-New-Guinea-Year-Round

Twin Town

See also

  • Mount Hagen languages

References

  1. ^ "UN decries PNG case of woman burned alive for sorcery". ABC News. AFP. 8 February 2013. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Developing Insecurity: Sorcery, Witchcraft and Melanesian Economic Development". Australian National University. 30 June 2015. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  3. ^ Climate of Mount Hagen

External links

Mount Hagen travel guide from Wikivoyage

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