Simbu Province Chimbu Province |
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Location within Papua New Guinea | ||
Coordinates: 6°26′S 145°0′E / 6.433°S 145.000°E | ||
Country | Papua New Guinea | |
Formation | 1966 | |
Capital | Kundiawa | |
Districts | ||
Government | ||
• Governor | Noah Kool 2012- | |
Area | ||
• Total | 6,112 km2 (2,360 sq mi) | |
Population (2011 census) | ||
• Total | 376,473 | |
• Density | 62/km2 (160/sq mi) | |
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) |
Simbu, officially spelled Chimbu, is a Highlands Region province in Papua New Guinea. The province has an area of 6,112 km² and a population of 376,473 (2011 census). The capital of the province is Kundiawa. Mount Wilhelm, the tallest mountain in Papua New Guinea, is on the border of Simbu.
Simbu is located in the central highlands cordillera of Papua New Guinea. It shares geographic and political boundaries with five provinces: Jiwaka, Eastern Highlands, Southern Highlands, Gulf and Madang. It is a significant source of organically produced coffee.
Simbu is a province with limited natural resources and very rugged mountainous terrain. The economic progress of the province has been slower than some other highlands provinces.
There are three secondary schools in the province: Kondiu Rosary Secondary School, Yauwe Moses Secondary School and Kerowagi Secondary School.
There are six districts in the province. Each district has one or more Local Level Government (LLG) areas. For census purposes, the LLG areas are subdivided into wards and those into census units.
The current governor, Noah Kool, was elected in the 2012 national election under the new Limited Preferential Voting (LPV) system. The Governor is the head of the provincial government. The provincial bureaucracy is headed by the provincial administrator. The current acting administrator is Joseph Kunda Naur, a former educationist. He is from the Endugla/Naur tribe.
The provincial headquarters is Kundiawa, which is also the location of the province's main airport. Air Niugini makes three flights to Kundiawa each week. There are many guest houses within the proximity of Kundiawa town.