Regions, provinces and districts

Papua New Guinea is divided into four regions, which are not the primary administrative divisions, but are quite significant in many aspects of government, commercial, sporting and other activities.
The nation has 20 province-level divisions: eighteen provinces, the autonomous province of North Solomons (Bougainville) and the National Capital District. Each province is divided into one or more districts, which in turn are divided into one or more Local Level Government areas.

Provinces are the primary administrative divisions of the country. Provincial governments are branches of the national government — Papua New Guinea is not a federation of provinces. The province-level divisions are as follows:

Central Chimbu (Simbu)
Eastern Highlands
East New Britain
East Sepik
Enga
Gulf
Madang
Manus
Milne Bay
Morobe
New Ireland
Northern (Oro Province)
Bougainville (North Solomons)
Southern Highlands
Western Province (Fly)
Western Highlands
West New Britain
West Sepik (Sandaun)
National Capital District