Papua New Guinea vs. Irian Jaya: Independent Nation vs. Indonesian Province on New Guinea

They are not the same.

• Papua New Guinea (PNG) – Sovereign state (since 1975) on the eastern half of the island.
• Irian Jaya (now Papua / Papua Barat) – Two Indonesian provinces on the western half, integrated into Indonesia since 1969.

The border roughly follows the 141°E meridian. Both share Melanesian cultural roots but differ politically.