the southeastern part of Papua New Guinea
"The expedition traveled deep into the highlands of papua to study the unique bird species found there."
The southern part of what is now called Papua New Guinea, formerly administered as a separate territory to New Guinea.
"The explorer mapped the rugged terrain of Papua before traveling north into the rest of the island."
The name likely comes either from a Malay word meaning "curly-haired" or from Ternate and Tidore terms describing land that was geographically separate and politically divided. In the latter case, it originally referred to nine distinct villages in New Guinea that were not united under one rule.