Papua New Guinea largest towns are also located, including Port Moresby (capital) and Lae; other major islands within Papua New Guinea include New Ireland, New Britain, Manus and Bougainville. Papua New Guinea is one of the few regions close to the equator that experience snowfall, which occurs in the most elevated parts of the mainland. The border between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia was confirmed by treaty with Australia before independence in 1974. Maritime boundaries with Australia were confirmed by a treaty in 1978. Papua New Guinea is part of the Australasia ecozone, which also includes Australia, New Zealand, eastern Indonesia, and several
Australia–Papua New Guinea relations Australia–Papua New Guinea relations Australia–Papua New Guinea relations are the foreign relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is Australia's closest neighbour (with roughly 6 km separating the two countries at the nearest point, and with both nations sharing the same continent), and a former dependent territory of Australia. Papua New Guinea has developed much closer relations with Australia than with Indonesia, the only country with which it shares a land border. The two countries are Commonwealth realms, and Papua New Guinea benefits from economic development aid from Australia. The southern half of eastern New Guinea (the