World Map › Oceania › Papua New Guinea
Country
Map of Papua New Guinea
Oceania · Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea spans the Australian, South Bismarck, Woodlark and North Bismarck plates. It has 39 volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years, 18 of which have erupted since 1900. Since 1900, 100 major earthquakes have been recorded, causing at least 2,617 deaths. Its exposure to natural hazards is 6.0 out of 10 (INFORM index), a high level. Its overall risk index, which accounts for its ability to cope, is 6.6 out of 10.
- Capital
- Port Moresby
- Population
- 8,935,000
- Area
- 462,840 km²
- Continent
- Oceania
Tectonic Plates
Natural Hazards
Exposure to natural hazards according to the European Commission's INFORM index, from 0 (very low) to 10 (very high), overall and for each type of hazard.
Overall Risk Index
This overall score combines hazard exposure with the vulnerability of the population (6.0 out of 10) and the lack of coping capacity (6.8 out of 10). A highly exposed but well-prepared country therefore gets a low overall score.
People Exposed Each Year
- 21,589to strong shaking (intensity VI and above)
- 21,071to destructive shaking (intensity VIII and above)
- 123to tsunamis
- 8,443to hurricane-force winds (category 1 and above)
- 16,676to river floods
- 16,841to coastal floods
Overall Risk Index Over Time
Hazard Levels
Hazard level assessed by ThinkHazard! (World Bank, GFDRR), meaning the likelihood of a damaging event, from very low to high.
- River FloodHigh
- Urban FloodHigh
- Coastal FloodHigh
- EarthquakeHigh
- LandslideHigh
- TsunamiHigh
- VolcanoHigh
- CycloneHigh
- WildfireHigh
- Extreme HeatMedium
- Water ScarcityVery Low
Volcanoes (39)
Volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years; year of the last known eruption.
- Manam 2026
- Langila 2026
- Bagana 2026
- Ulawun 2025
- Kadovar 2023
- Rabaul (Tavurvur) 2014
- Witori 2012
- Krummel-Garbuna-Welcker 2008
- Ritter Island 2007
- Long Island 1993
- Karkar 1979
- Titan Ridge 1972
- Bam 1960
- St. Andrew Strait 1957
- Mount Lamington 1956
- Sessagara Hills 1944
- Victory 1935
- Lolobau 1912
- Dakataua 1895
- Bamus 1886
- Billy Mitchell 1580
- Dawson Strait Group 1350
- Hargy 950
- Loloru 1,050 BCE
- Tavui 4,946 BCE
- Blup Blup ?
- Hankow Reef ?
- Umboi ?
- Sakar ?
- Bola ?
Major Earthquakes Since 1900
Earthquakes that caused deaths or significant damage, or of magnitude 7.5 and above (NOAA).
Deadliest
- 1998Sissano · M 7.01,636 deaths
- 1937Keravia, Rabaul, Kokopo507 deaths
- 2018S Highlands, Hela, Indonesia · M 7.5145 deaths
- 1988Kaiapit (Landslide Generated) · M 4.374 deaths
- 1993Eastern: Upper Markham Valley · M 6.960 deaths
- 2002Morobe · M 5.336 deaths
Regions
Regions with volcanoes, major earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones or famous faults.
Tsunamis
30 major tsunamis have reached Papua New Guinea since 1900, killing 2,234 people in the country. The deadliest and highest are listed below.
- 1998Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 15.0 m2,205 deaths
- 1930Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 12.0 m27 deaths
- 1971Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 6.0 m1 deaths
- 1970Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 3.0 m1 deaths
- 1971Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 10.0 m
- 2007Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 10.0 m
- 2002Tsunami (Papua New Guinea) · 5.5 m
- 2007Tsunami (Solomon Islands) · 3.5 m
Tropical Cyclones
2 major tropical cyclones have made landfall in Papua New Guinea since 1950. The deadliest and most powerful are listed below.
- 2019Cyclone Trevor · 65 km/h
- 2007Cyclone Guba · 46 km/h
Sources : Natural Earth · Wikidata · INFORM Risk Index (1 September 2026 v 0.7.3), Commission européenne, CC BY 4.0 · NOAA NCEI · ThinkHazard!, GFDRR, CC BY · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution