Papua is the largest province of Indonesia located in the central part of the island of New Guinea or the easternmost part of West New Guinea (Irian Jaya). Parts of the East is the country of Papua New Guinea or the East New Guinea. Papua Province used to cover the whole area of West Papua, but since the year 2003 was divided into two provinces where the eastern section retains the name of its western part of New Guinea while wearing the name of West Papua. Papua has an area of 808,105 square KM and includes the second largest island in the world and the first in Indonesia's largest island.

The development of the origin of the name Papua island have a long journey along with the history of interaction between foreign Nations with communities, including with local languages to interpret the name Papua.
Papua Province used to cover the whole region of West Papua. During the reign of the colonial Netherlands East Indies, the territory was known as New Guinea Netherlands (Nederlands Nieuw-Guinea or Dutch New Guinea). After being merged with the State Union of Republic of Indonesia, the area was known as West Irian Province from 1969 until 1973. The name was later changed to Irian Jaya by Soeharto at the time inaugurated the copper mine and gold Freeport, a name still used officially until the year 2002.

Act No. 21 of 2001 special autonomy to Papua Province to mandate the name was changed to Papua. In 2003, accompanied by a variety of protests (the merger of the Middle East and Papua New Guinea), Papua Province is divided into two by the Government of Indonesia; the eastern section retains the name of its western part of New Guinea while being the province of West Irian Jaya (Western New Guinea became a year later). This was the eastern part of the territory of Papua Province at this time.
The name Papua Barat (West Papua) is still often used by Opm (OPM), a separatist movement that wants to secede from Indonesia and form its own country.

New Guinea has a total area of about 421,981 km2, of New Guinea are at the eastern end of Indonesia, with the potential of natural resources of the economic and strategic value, and has encouraged the nation – foreign Nations for control of the island of New Guinea. The Regency of Puncak Jaya is the highest town on the island of New Guinea, while the lowest city is the city of Merauke. As tropical islands, and the territory of New Guinea have a higher relative humidity ranged from 80-89% varied geographic conditions affects the conditions of deployment of the uneven population. In 1990 the population of the island of New Guinea amounted to 1,648,708 inhabitants and increase to about 2.8 million people in 2006.

Reff : http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua#Sejarah