the majority of the papuan languages are spoken on the island of new guinea (which is divided between the country of papua new guinea and indonesian provinces of papua and west irian jaya), with a number spoken in the bismarck archipelago, bougainville island, and the solomon islands to the east, and in halmahera, timor, and the alor archipelago to the west. one papuan language, meriam mir, is spoken within the national borders of australia, in the eastern torres strait. the only papuan languages with official recognition are those of east timor.