Consider the following statements regarding the island of New Guinea: 1. It is the second-largest island in the world and is politically divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. 2. The island is separated from Australia by the Torres Strait and falls entirely within the geographical region of Oceania. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? |ForumIAS

[A] 1 only

[B] 2 only

[C] Both 1 and 2

[D] Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: New Guinea is the world’s second-largest island (after Greenland). The western half is administered by Indonesia (provinces of Papua, West Papua, etc.), while the eastern half constitutes the independent nation of Papua New Guinea.
Statement 2 is correct: The island lies just north of Australia and is separated from it by the 150 km wide Torres Strait. Despite Indonesia’s administrative control over the western half, the island itself is physically located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, making it a prominent part of the Melanesian subregion of Oceania.