If you look at a world map, the border between the Indonesian region of Papua and Papua New Guinea (PNG) looks almost perfectly straight. It seems like a clean line cutting from north to south across the island.
However, if you zoom in on the southern section, you will see a strange bend. The line curves westward into Indonesian territory, creating a small "bite" or curve in the south.
Why does this border have a sudden curve?
Why is the Indonesia-Papua-New Guinea border not straight?
In the 19th century, European countries divided the island of New Guinea. The Netherlands claimed the western half, which they called Dutch New Guinea. Germany took the northeast part, and Great Britain took the southeast part.
At first, the Dutch used a simple line on the map to mark their territory. They chose the 141st meridian east longitude.
While a straight line looked perfect on paper, it caused problems in real life. British colonial forces used the Fly River to patrol their territory.
The Fly River is a massive, winding waterway. Because the river naturally curves, a small part of it looped west of the 141st meridian. This meant the British boats were accidentally entering Dutch territory every time they sailed down the river.
To avoid fights, Great Britain and the Netherlands met to solve the problem in the late 1890s. Thus, they made a deal in 1893.
The Dutch gave the river loop to the British so British boats could move freely. In return, they changed the border line. They bent it westward to follow the curve of the river, which created that unique small "bite" or curve in the south.
To make up for the land the Dutch lost, the British gave them land further south. The southern border changed to follow the middle of the Bensbach River, which Indonesians call the Torasi River, all the way to the coast.
Today, the mouth of the Torasi River is the easternmost point of Indonesia. Both Indonesia and Papua New Guinea still use this colonial legacy as their official border today.
One Island, Two "Different" Worlds
This old agreement did more than just bend a border. It shaped the identity of the island today. Geographically, the whole island belongs to Oceania. However, the western half became part of Indonesia because it was a Dutch colony.
Therefore, Indonesian Papua connects politically to Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975 after Australia ruled it. Today, the world views PNG as an Oceanian nation.
PNG wants to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Indonesia supports this idea, but other ASEAN countries are still hesitating due to economic reasons.
Border Life of Papua Indonesia and PNG Today
Even though old empires drew these lines, the people living along the border share close ties. At the Skouw-Wutung border post near Jayapura, people cross the border every day. Residents from the PNG village of Wutung regularly walk to the Indonesian side in Skouw to buy daily needs and visit local markets.
Usually, people need passports to cross. However, local authorities hold a special market day every Tuesday. On this day, PNG citizens can cross into Indonesia with a simple document. This allows them to shop and chat at the Skouw Market, showing that human connections matter more than historical borders.
