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Papua New Guinea · Mountains

Highest Mountains in Papua New Guinea

Mount Wilhelm is the highest of the 5 mountains recorded for Papua New Guinea, at 4,509 m, ahead of Mount Victoria at 4,038 m. The full list follows.

How this list is built: Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. It covers the mountains indexed in YearMaps, drawn from open geospatial data, and is not an exhaustive national register.

Mountains Listed
5
Top Ranked
4,509 m
Mount Wilhelm
Second
4,038 m
Mount Victoria
Profiled Below
4
Photo, encyclopedia text and figures
Highest Mountains in Papua New Guinea
#NameElevation
1Mount Wilhelm4,509 m
2Mount Victoria4,038 m
3Mount Balbi2,715 m
4Ulawun2,334 m
5Takuan2,243 m

The Mountains of Papua New Guinea in Detail

The 4 mountains above that have an encyclopedia article, in the same order, each with its photograph, figures and the places around it.

Mount Wilhelm
Image via Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on the file page).

Mount Wilhelm

Mountain · 4,509 m

Mount Wilhelm is a mountain rising to 4,509 metres (14,793 ft) in Papua New Guinea, in the Oceania region.

Mount Wilhelm (German: Wilhelmsberg) is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea at 4,509 metres (14,793 ft). It is part of the Bismarck Range and the peak is the point where three provinces, Chimbu, Jiwaka and Madang, meet. In the local Kuman language, the peak is also known as Enduwa Kombuglu or Kombugl'o Dimbin.

The mountain is on the island of New Guinea, which incorporates Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian provinces of Papua. It is surpassed by Puncak Jaya, 4,884 m (16,024 ft), and several other peaks in Indonesian Papua.

Mount Wilhelm may be considered the highest mountain in Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand) according to present political boundaries of nation states, while Puncak Jaya contends for the same title based on physical geography. A Seven Summits list thus sometimes includes Mount Wilhelm.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Wilhelm (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Elevation
4,509 m (14,793 ft)
Global rank
#79 of 641 indexed
Region
Oceania (#2)
Subregion
Melanesia
Country
Papua New Guinea
Coordinates
-5.8001°, 145.0332°

Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Mount Wilhelm ranks #79 by elevation, below Volcan Karisimbi (4,519 m) and above Belukha (4,506 m).

Ranges:
New Guinea Highlands (Oceania), Owen Stanley Range (Oceania)
Neighbouring summits:
Ulawun (2,334 m), Puncak Jaya (4,884 m), Mount Balbi (2,715 m)
Settlements below:
Goroka (50 km), Mount Hagen (91 km), Madang (105 km)

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More about Mount Wilhelm

History

Mount Wilhelm received its name in 1888 when a German newspaper correspondent, Hugo Zöller, climbed the Finisterre Range, south-east of Madang, and named the Bismarck Range after the German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, and the four highest peaks of the range after him and his children: Ottoberg, Herbertberg, Marienberg and Wilhelmberg. Ottoberg seemed to Zöller to be the highest of the range, but it was later discovered to be only 3,540 metres (11,600 ft) and the distant Wilhelmberg was much taller.

It was not until August 1938 when Leigh Vial, a government patrol officer, made the first recorded ascent, with two Niu Ginians, his "Mangi mastas", "Namba Wan Bare Kuakawa" (Kugl'kane) and "Gend" ("Mondia Nigle").

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Wilhelm (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Mount Wilhelm: Key Facts

Key facts about Mount Wilhelm
Topographic prominence2,969 m
Mountain rangeBismarck Range

Facts from Wikidata Q277441 (CC0).

Mount Balbi
Image via Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on the file page).

Mount Balbi

Mountain · 2,715 m

Mount Balbi is a mountain rising to 2,715 metres (8,907 ft) in Papua New Guinea, in the Oceania region. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..

Mount Balbi is a Holocene stratovolcano located in the northern portion of the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. A gentle prominence at 05°54′09″S 154°59′28″E is the highest point of the island. There are five volcanic craters east of the summit, one of which contains a crater lake. The summit is composed of coalesced cones and lava domes which host a large solfatara field. There are numerous fumaroles near the craters, though Balbi has not erupted in historic time.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Balbi (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Elevation
2,715 m (8,907 ft)
Global rank
#294 of 641 indexed
Region
Oceania (#11)
Subregion
Melanesia
Country
Papua New Guinea
Coordinates
-5.9100°, 154.9800°

Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Mount Balbi ranks #294 by elevation, below Gunung Tambora (2,722 m) and above Daba Shan (2,708 m).

Ranges:
Owen Stanley Range (Oceania), New Guinea Highlands (Oceania)
Neighbouring summits:
Takuan (2,243 m), Ulawun (2,334 m), Mount Popomanaseu (2,335 m)
Settlements below:
Arawa (74 km), Honiara (674 km), Popondetta (808 km)

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More about Mount Balbi

Mount Balbi: Key Facts

Key facts about Mount Balbi
Topographic prominence2,715 m
Mountain rangeEmperor Range

Facts from Wikidata Q1298202 (CC0).

Ulawun
Image via Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on the file page).

Ulawun

Mountain · 2,334 m

Ulawun is a mountain rising to 2,334 metres (7,657 ft) in Papua New Guinea, in the Oceania region.

Ulawun is an active stratovolcano in West New Britain Province, on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea.

About 130 km (81 mi) southwest of the township of Rabaul, Ulawun is the highest mountain in New Britain and the second in the Bismarck Archipelago at 2,334 metres (7,657 ft), and one of the most active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. A total of 22 recorded eruptions have occurred since the 18th century; the first, in 1700, was recorded by William Dampier. Several thousand people live near the volcano. Because of its eruptive history and proximity to populated areas, Ulawun is considered one of the Decade Volcanoes.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Ulawun (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Elevation
2,334 m (7,657 ft)
Global rank
#361 of 641 indexed
Region
Oceania (#14)
Subregion
Melanesia
Country
Papua New Guinea
Coordinates
-5.0501°, 151.3333°

Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Ulawun ranks #361 by elevation, below Mount Popomanaseu (2,335 m) and above Die Berg (2,331 m).

Ranges:
Owen Stanley Range (Oceania), New Guinea Highlands (Oceania)
Neighbouring summits:
Mount Balbi (2,715 m), Takuan (2,243 m), Mount Wilhelm (4,509 m)
Settlements below:
Arawa (486 km), Lae (516 km), Popondetta (536 km)

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More about Ulawun

Ulawun: Key Facts

Key facts about Ulawun
Topographic prominence2,334 m

Facts from Wikidata Q74158 (CC0).

Takuan

Mountain · 2,243 m

Takuan is a mountain rising to 2,243 metres (7,359 ft) in Papua New Guinea, in the Oceania region.

Takuan Group is a volcanic group located in the southern part of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. It consists of three closely spaced stratovolcanoes and lava cones, Mount Takuan being the highest of them.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Takuan Group (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Elevation
2,243 m (7,359 ft)
Global rank
#379 of 641 indexed
Region
Oceania (#15)
Subregion
Melanesia
Country
Papua New Guinea
Coordinates
-6.4792°, 155.6053°

Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Takuan ranks #379 by elevation, below Mount Ramlo (2,248 m) and above Mont Orohena (2,241 m).

Ranges:
Owen Stanley Range (Oceania), New Guinea Highlands (Oceania)
Neighbouring summits:
Mount Balbi (2,715 m), Ulawun (2,334 m), Mount Popomanaseu (2,335 m)
Settlements below:
Arawa (28 km), Honiara (581 km), Popondetta (850 km)

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More on Papua New Guinea

Quick Answers

What is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea?
Mount Wilhelm, at 4,509 m. Mount Victoria is second at 4,038 m. Rankings cover the mountains indexed in YearMaps.
How many mountains are there in Papua New Guinea?
YearMaps lists 5 mountains for Papua New Guinea. This is the number mapped in the atlas, not an official national count.