Kerema is the capital of

Gulf Province A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. It is located on the coast of Gulf of Papua. The Gulf region is aptly named for its concave coastline with large deltas. The Gulf area is a riparian region where many rivers from the southern slopes of the highlands drain into.

Culture and tradition

There are more than twenty languages spoken in

. Languages spoken in the Kerema area include Toaripi, Kakiae, Opae, Moivo Hivi and Tairuma. The villages towards the east of Kerema from Hamuhamu, Miaru to Iokea and inland to Moveave all speak Toaripi. The Gulf's traditional culture and knowledge was one of the first to be exposed to the outside world. Thus it was one of the first cultures to change, as outsiders, mainly

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

missionaries have visited many of the coastal people and encouraged them to abandon much of their native culture.

History

James Chalmers, or 'Tamate' as the locals of Toaripi called him, was the first white man to land in the province. He first landed in Iokea in 1885.

Industry

The Gulf area is blessed with many natural resources such as abundant marine life, rich jungle,

sago Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is c ...

, betelnut (buai), and many others. Rubber plantations were established in the 1930s, mainly by Australians. Currently oil and gas explorations are showing positive results and it will be major income earner to the province. The Interoil Gas Field has proven huge reserves. Fishing, logging and oil are the main industries, although betelnut and sago are the major cash crop for the local people. Gulf people supply 15% of the betelnut and sago to

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...

markets for cash.

Climate

Kerema has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southe ...

( Köppen ''Af'') with heavy rainfall year-round.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Gulf Province Populated coastal places in Papua New Guinea Provincial capitals in Papua New Guinea Gulf of Papua