NATURAL RESOURCES

TOPOGRAPHY    IRIAN  JAYA

Irian Jaya's topography consists of tidal lowlands in the coastal areas and mountain­ous regions covered by endless carpets of solid rain forests, spectacular grasslands, and wild sugarcane-covered valleys. Meandering rivers wind through this verdant countryside in oxbow patterns, emptying into azure seas ringed by coral-lagooned coastlines. In the central part of the province a cloud-piercing rugged mountain range extends 650 km (406 miles) and divides the province into north and south. The most spectacular of these mountains are the Kaimana Mountains near Fak-Fak, the Arfak Mountains near Manokwari, the Cyclops Mountains of Jayapura, and the Jayawijaya range in the district of the same name.

Despite their proximity to the equator, three of the highest peaks of the Jayawijaya range, Jayawijaya at 5,030 m (15,090 ft), Trikora at 5,160 m (15,480 ft), and Yamin at 5,100 m (15,300 ft) are eternally covered with snow. (There are only two other places in the world with a tropical climate and snowcapped mountains: Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and the Andes in South America.)

Also in the heart of the Jayawijaya range lies the spectacular Baliem Valle^y. It is actually a high plateau, 20 km (12.40 miles) wide and 60 km (37.20 miles) long, and at 1,550 m (4,650 ft) above sea level, it has a wonderfull^y cool climate.

Large rivers and their tributaries flovk^, through the province toward the northern and Southern seas. The Digul River emerges from the interior of the Merauke district and drains into the Arafura Sea along with the Bian, Kumbe, Abais, and Maro rivers. The Warenai and Wagona rivers, as well as the Memberamo River, which traverses the

districts of Jayawijaya, Paniai, and Jayapura, end up in the Pacific Ocean.

FLORA AND FAUNA

The flora and fauna of Irian Jaya are unique. The wildlife is strange and diverse, much of it cannot be found anywhere else in Indonesia.

Some of the animals are similar to those in Australia, such as the wallaby (Macropus), the pocket squirrel, (Petaurus), and the cuscus (Pbalanger).

There are about 650 species of birds in Irian Jaya, of which 454 are indigenous. Among these are the spectacular bird of paradise (Paradise spoda), the exotic blue mambruk ( Gonravictorial), and the flightless cassowary (Kasuarius), which is related to the Australian emu.

Irian Jaya has the richest concentration of plant life in Indonesia, and many plants are medicinal. There are more than 2,500 species of orchids alone, including the giant Rafflesia arnoldli(Amorpbopballus).

Some of the flora and fauna can be seen at wildlife preserves in several provinces of Irian Jaya.