New Guinea

New Guinea is a large Island in the southwest Pacific Ocean of Terra. It is located to the north of the continent of Australia, and is surrounded by the ocean. It is Terra's second-largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2.

A spine of east–west mountains stretching over 1,600 km, the New Guinea Highlands dominates the geography. The island of contains the highest mountains in Oceania, rising up to 4,884 m high, and ensuring a steady supply of rain from the equatorial atmosphere. The tree line is around 4,000 m elevation and the tallest peaks contain permanent equatorial glaciers—which have been retreating since at least 1936 CE. Various other smaller mountain ranges occur both north and west of the central ranges. Except in high elevations, most areas possess a warm humid climate throughout the year, with some seasonal variation associated with the northeast monsoon season.

Another major habitat feature is the vast southern and northern lowlands. Stretching for hundreds of kilometers, these include lowland rainforests, extensive wetlands, savanna grasslands, and some of the largest expanses of mangrove forest on the planet.

New Guinea contains many of Terra’s ecosystem types: glacial, alpine tundra, savanna, montane and lowland rainforest, mangroves, wetlands, lake and river ecosystems, seagrasses, and some of the richest coral reefs on the planet.

Today, New Guinea is still one of Terra's most pristine wilderness areas. Settlements of over 1500 people are not permitted and some 83% of the population can trace their ancestry to Pre-Ascent inhabitants. It has little agriculture and acts as a residential and resort island.