Western New Guinea

Western New Guinea is indeed the western half of the island of New Guinea.
 * It was formerly part of the Netherlands Indies.
 * It was split off as Netherlands New Guinea in 1949, issuing it own stamps when the rest of the country became Indonesia.
 * In October of 1962, the region was now administered by the United Nations, with stamps oveprinted UNTEA. see: UNTEA.
 * In May 1963, the region was turned over to Indonesia, who named it Irian Barat. Indonesian stamps were overprinted IRIAN BARAT or inscribed thus in very small letters with REPUBLIK INDONESIA being the major inscription. In 1970 issues were being inscribed I.B.
 * In 1973 it became Irian Jaya, using Indonesian stamps.
 * In 2002 it became Papua province.
 * In recent years, the KNPB, an independence group, unveiled postage stamp designs inscribed West Papua.

 File:West Irian sukarno.jpg|Sukarno definitive overprinted. File:West Irian aerogramme.jpg|Formula aerogramme used from Bukarnapura, 1968. File:West Irian IB.jpg|Stamp inscribed I.B. 

[[Category:W]]