A volcanic island geographically isolated by impenetrable lowland jungle and choppy waters, Papua New Guinea lies a mere 5 degrees south of the Equator. Astonishingly, PNG is also one of the ...

This story appears in the February 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. She is lying in a cave, dying. Legs and arms but knobby sticks, Lidia Maiyu is curled up close to the campfire.

"Equatorial" was added to highlight its location near the equator and to differentiate it from other "Guinea" countries.

The north of Oceania has a tropical climate, like in Papua New Guinea. There can be monsoons in the wet season as there is heavy rainfall. Other parts of Oceania are very hot and dry, like Australia.