Editing Geography of Papua New Guinea (section)

==Physical geography==
[[File:Newguinea topo.png|thumb|450px|New Guinea's topography.]]

Papua New Guinea has a total area of {{convert|462,840|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|452,860|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} is land and {{convert|9,980|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} is water. This makes it the 3rd largest [[List of island countries|island country]] in the world.<ref name="world-atlas">{{cite web|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-island-countries-of-the-world.html |title=Island Countries Of The World |publisher=WorldAtlas.com |access-date=2019-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207094959/http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-are-the-island-countries-of-the-world.html | archive-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> Its coastline is {{Convert|5152|km|abbr=on}} long.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

The northernmost point is [[Mussau Island]] (1°23' S), southernmost point is [[Sudest Island]] (11°65' S), easternmost point is Olava, [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]] (155°57' E) and the westernmost point is either [[Bovakaka]] along the [[Fly River]] border with Indonesia or [[Mabudawan]] (140°54' E).

Papua New Guinea has [[List of volcanoes in Papua New Guinea|several volcanoes]], as it is situated along the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. Volcanic eruptions are not rare, and the area is prone to [[earthquakes]] and [[tsunamis]] because of this. The volcanic disturbance can often cause severe earthquakes, which in turn can also cause tsunamis. Papua New Guinea is also prone to [[landslides]], often caused by deforestation in major forests. The mountainous regions of Papua New Guinea are the areas most susceptible to landslides causing damage.

Offshore islands include the small, forested [[Admiralty Islands]], the largest of which is [[Manus Island|Manus]], to the north of the main island of New Guinea. These have a distinct plant and animal life from the main island but the natural forest has been cleared in places for logging and agriculture.<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Admiralty Islands lowland rain forests|id=aa0101}}</ref>

A 2019 global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were {{Convert|1,308|km2|abbr=on}} of tidal flats in Papua New Guinea, making it the 25th ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=N.J. |last2=Phinn |first2=S.R. |last3=DeWitt |first3=M. |last4=Ferrari |first4=R. |last5=Johnston |first5=R. |last6=Lyons |first6=M.B. |last7=Clinton |first7=N. |last8=Thau |first8=D. |last9=Fuller |first9=R.A. |title=The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7738 |pages=222–225 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8 |pmid=30568300 |s2cid=56481043 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0805-8}}</ref>

===Rivers===
{{Main|List of rivers of Papua New Guinea}}