Travel Guide Lae
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Like Port Moresby, Morobe's capital does not really inspire the traveler. The "town of nests", as the Papous people call it because of the state of its streets, regularly talks about it because of its crime problems, as a result of its economic dynamism that attracts many people. The city and its port, points of arrival and departure of all goods coming or moving inward, represent the heart of the country, continually irrigating it. Not really tourist, Lae with its 150,000 inhabitants has some assets. The town, organized around a beautiful botanical garden, has a well-furnished art store and the very interesting Rainforest Habitat, a zoo located above the university. It is primarily the starting point for many excursions or expeditions in the province. And like any big city, she will teach visitors a lot about contemporary Papua.HistoryThe city's history is closely associated with the gold rush of the 1920-1930 s. It was at that time that a first airport was built feeding the mines of Wau and Bulolo. So the city emerged around that airport, which is no longer in service today. Lae became the capital of the Territory of New Guinea in 1937, after a volcanic eruption in Rabaul convinced the government of the need for its displacement. In 1942, taken by the Japanese, she became, with the very close Salamaua and Rabaul, one of the main bases of imperial forces. After the ferocious battles of Kokoda and then Wau, the Japanese parties to the north of the country fell into Lae and had to take weeks of intense fighting to regain control on September 16. The development of the post-war city was directly linked to that of the mountains, since that is where all goods imported or exported from that region are transported. This importance was further reinforced by the mining boom of the years 1980-1990. Today Lae is the only city in the country with real industries. Unfortunately, infrastructure, transport and technology do not follow, which hinders development. However, port investments are increasing to make Lae a commercial and industrial hub, and perhaps again the starting point for a new expansion for the city.
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