Although Papua New Guinea is home to just 0.1% of the global population, it is the most linguistically diverse country in the world.

Why is that?

Long story short, its geographic isolation, created by 600 islands and numerous mountains, has played a significant role.

Long story long, the indigenous people, who were largely isolated, developed their own languages.

And then in the 19th century, waves of colonization crashed on their shores. Starting with the Dutch, followed by the Spanish, Germans, British, Japanese, and later, Australians (which primarily cleared out the Japanese presence). This influx of colonizers resulted in a mixing of languages and influences on the existing ones.

Today there are 840 distinct languages spoken within its borders.

Papua New Guinea recognizes three national languages: English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu—just one less than Switzerland’s four. I was also fascinated, but shouldn’t be surprised by, the variety of sign languages used throughout the country.

And as a cherry on top of this all, although Papua New Guinea is considered the most linguistically diverse country, Vanuatu actually has a higher density of languages per capita due to its smaller population.