Irian Jaya

American  

[eer-ee-ahn jah-yah] / ˈɪər iˌɑn ˈdʒɑ jɑ /

noun

1. the western part of the island of New Guinea, formerly a Dutch territory: a province of Indonesia since 1963. About 159,000 sq. mi. (411,810 sq. km). Jayapura.

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Irian Jaya British  

noun

1. a former Indonesian name (1973–2001) for Papua

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Irian Jaya

Indonesia’s government incorporated Western New Guinea, formerly known as Irian Jaya, in 1969, 8 years after the Papuans formally declared independence from the Dutch.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 12, 2021

Over the decades, the Indonesian government’s human rights record in the Papua region, formally known as Irian Jaya, has drawn widespread criticism.

From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2018

Known as Irian Jaya until 2000, it been split into two provinces, Papua and West Papua, since 2003.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 29, 2017

Known as Irian Jaya until 2000, the province has also been split into two provinces, Papua and West Papua, since 2003.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 23, 2017

The ongoing changes in Irian Jaya represent the continuation, backed by a centralized government’s full resources, of the Austronesian expansion that began to reach New Guinea 3,500 years ago.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond