Papua New Guinea
With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone). The Panama Canal was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers between 1904 and 1914. On 7 September 1977, an agreement was signed for the complete transfer of the Canal from the US to Panama by the end of 1999. Certain portions of the Zone and increasing responsibility over the Canal were turned over in the intervening years. With US help, dictator Manuel NORIEGA was deposed in 1989. The entire Panama Canal, the area supporting the Canal, and remaining US military bases were turned over to Panama by or on 31 December 1999.

Papua New Guinea is slightly smaller than South Carolina. The climate is hot, humid and cloudy with a prolonged rainy season (May to January) and a short dry season (January to May).

Recipes

Tinned Meat in Dalo Leaves - Main

Ingredients
1 tin of meat
Salt
Coconut cream from one coconut
Young dalo leaves

Directions
Mix tinned meat, salt and coconut cream. Place in young dalo leaves and wrap carefully to avoid spillage. Wrap inside banana leaves and bake, boil or steam for 30 minutes or until the meat is heated through and the dalo leaves are properly cooked (should be soft). Serve with dalo.



Talautu - Drink

Ingredients
5 green coconuts
1 pineapple
1 lemon Sugar to taste

Directions
Crack coconuts and save juice in a bowl. Scrape 2 or 3 of the coconut flesh into the juice in the bowl. Wash, peel and cut pineapple in half lengthwise. Remove core and scrape into coconut flesh and juice into the bowl. Add lemon juice and sugar. Stir thoroughly. Serve in coconut shells.