History:
- In the 1870s, Europeans began exploring and claiming parts of New Guinea. The first European settlers were the Dutch who claimed western New Guinea in 1828.
- In 1884, the British and the Germans divided the eastern part of New Guinea between themselves. The British claimed the southeastern quarter, while Germany took the northern coast and the islands off the coast.
- The British formally declared the protectorate of British New Guinea on September 4, 1884.
- The Australian colony of Queensland administered British New Guinea from 1884 to 1902.
- In 1902, British New Guinea was transferred to the newly created Australian Commonwealth and was renamed the Territory of Papua.
- In 1949, the Territory of Papua and the Australian-administered part of New Guinea, formerly known as German New Guinea, were united into a single political and administrative unit called the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.
- In 1975, Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia and became a sovereign state.
The name British Guinea is rarely used today, but the term was commonly used in the 19th and early 20th centuries to refer to the British-controlled part of the island of New Guinea.
