Popondetta (sometimes spelled Popondota) is the capital of Oro (Northern) Province in

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

. In 1951 the city became the focus of relief efforts after nearby Mount Lamington erupted and killed 4,000 people. Popondetta is near to Buna on the Northern Papua coast and is not far from the beginning of the

Kokoda Trail The Kokoda Track or Trail is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland – in a straight line – through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The track was the location of the 1942 World War II battle between Imperial ...

, made famous during World War II. This area of New Guinea is home to the endangered

Queen Alexandra's birdwing ''Ornithoptera alexandrae'', the Queen Alexandra's birdwing, is the largest species of butterfly in the world, with females reaching wingspans slightly in excess of . This birdwing is restricted to the forests of the Oro Province in eastern Papua ...

, the world's largest butterfly.

Climate

Popondetta has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest 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 southeast Florida, United States ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

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

Education

Newton Theological College Newton Theological College is a Papua New Guinean educational institution in Popondetta, Papua New Guinea. It trains candidates for ordination in the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. History Anglican mission activity commenced in the Terri ...

is located in Popondetta.

Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment Papua New Guinea University of Natural Resources and Environment (formerly known as the University of Vudal) is a university located in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. Research at the university addresses some of the problems faced by ...

is located in the Sohe District.

References

Populated places in Oro Province Provincial capitals in Papua New Guinea {{OroProvince-geo-stub