Asmat people

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Asmat people

An Asmat woodcarver
Total population
110,105 (2020)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (Asmat Regency, South Papua)
Languages
Asmat languages
Religion
Majority: Catholicism[2] Minority: Protestanism, Sunni Islam,[3] Indigenous beliefs
Related ethnic groups
Indigenous Papuan peoples of Western New Guinea and Papua New Guinea, other Melanesians

The Asmat are an ethnic group of New Guinea, residing in the province of South Papua, Indonesia. The Asmat inhabit a region on the island's southwestern coast bordering the Arafura Sea, with lands totaling approximately 18,000 km² (7,336 mi²) and consisting of mangrove, tidal swamp, freshwater swamp, and lowland rainforest.

The land of Asmat is located both within and adjacent to Lorentz National Park, a World Heritage Site, the largest protected area in the Asia-Pacific region. The total Asmat population is estimated to be around 110,000 as of 2020.^[4] The term "Asmat" is used to refer both to the people and the region they inhabit.

The Asmat have one of the most well-known woodcarving traditions in the Pacific, and their art is sought by collectors worldwide.