Feature: Papua New Guinea celebrates 40 years of independence

As the sun rose on Wednesday morning, so too the flag of Papua New Guinea as the nation marked 40 years of independence from Australia's colonial rule.

"Today is a day that we not only celebrate 40 years of independence, but we also celebrate thousands of years of our rich history and our culture, that has made us who we are today," Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said at the flag raising ceremony on Wednesday.

"Today we can look back with pride on what we have achieved together, and we can look forward with confidence to an even better future of our children."

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has defied predictions of a failed state, proudly achieving a level of political stability, not withstanding conflicts in the autonomous region of Bougainville, 800 languages and 1,000 unique tribes.

"Papua New Guinea's efforts to bring together its diverse quilt of ethnic groups can serve as an example for other developing nations," the United States Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement congratulating the pacific nation.

"The Pacific Islands Forum further demonstrates your strong leadership and desire to advance important measures for the benefit of the region and the world."

PNG has been thrust onto the world stage as it prepares to host the 2018 APEC leaders summit, successfully hosting the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit earlier in September the Pacific Games in July.

Unlike other regions of the world, independence in PNG was not won through bloodshed.

As the sun set on September 15, 1975, the Australian flag was lowered, replaced by PNG's national flag, red and black with a golden bird of paradise, over the newly formed parliament house the next morning.

"It is important the people of Papua New Guinea, and the rest of the world, realize the spirit in which we are lowering the flag of our colonizers," the first governor general of PNG, Sir John Guise said at the lowering ceremony in 1975.

"We are lowering the flag, not tearing it down."

That same action occurred on Tuesday night as the country prepared to celebrate its independence day on Wednesday.

Papua New Guinea and its former colonial ruler Australia have had a varied and illustrated history together.

Under pressure from the Queensland government in 1888, Britain, the ruler of Australia at the time, raised its flag over the territory forcing Germany to annex the northern part of the country, a move widely seen as an attempt to protect Australia's northern boarder.

Britain then transferred full control of then British New Guinea, the southern half of modern PNG, to the newly federated and independent Australia in 1906.

During Australia's near 60-year administration of the territory, its interests primarily lay in excluding other powers from the region.

Germany was forced out of the country in World War One, enabling Australia to take full control.

When the Japanese invaded PNG in 1942, Australian, Papua New Guinean and American forces banded together halt their advance, later becoming tales of victories, which underline the importance of the territory to Australia's security.

"I'm very conscious of the fact that PNG and Australian blood has been shed on the battlefield," former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in an editorial published by News Corp celebrating the PNG's 40th anniversary of independence.

"It is a poignant fact that not a single Australian soldier in trouble died in the company of those we called the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels."

"Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels" was the name given in honor by Australian soldiers to a group of Papua New Guineans who assisted and escorted injured troops down the Kokoda trail during World War II.

"The people of PNG were with us in our hour of need," Abbott said.

Following World War II, the League of Nations, which later became the United Nations, mandated Australia administer PNG as a single territory.

Independence was granted in 1975 following the election of Sir Michael Somare, who became PNG's first prime minister, as chief minister in 1972 which lead the country into self governance.

"It should never be forgotten that in making our own former colony independent, we as Australians enhance our own independence, " then Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam said as he introduced legislation to Australia's parliament for PNG's independence.

"Australia was never truly free until Papua New Guinea became truly free."

Just months after PNG gained independence, Whitlam was sacked as prime minister.

"Of course there have been difficulties over the last four decades, but these challenges have made us stronger," O'Neill said on Wednesday.

A successful rebellion in Bougainville, which caused nine years of violence, killing almost 20,000 people, forcing New Zealand to host peace talks in 1997, after it was found the then Julius Chen government had sought international mercenaries to regain control.

The Chen government was toppled, and the autonomous region of Bougainville was born.

Bougainville is preparing for a referendum of independence from PNG, to occur within the next five years.

The PNG government was forced into a political crisis in 2011 when then Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, who was re-elected in 2007, was forced from government in an apparent coup while seeking medical attention in Singapore.

Current Prime Minister Peter O'Neill was elected by the parliament to take over, however Somare did not recognize his authority.

Both men claimed to be the nation's leaders, forming two separate cabinets with separate attorneys general and police commissioners.

O'Neill won out in the end, though not before the PNG Supreme Court had declared the leadership change unconstitutional.

O'Neill rushed legislation through parliament that retrospectively gave him authority.

PNG is still facing significant challenges even after 40 years of independence.

The country is experiencing the worst drought in 20 years with associated frost destroying food crops in the agricultural rich Highlands region, affecting up to two million people.

On Wednesday morning, the Papua New Guinea flag was raised on top of the parliament as a symbol to its independence on Sept. 16, 1975, kicking off celebrations throughout the country culminating in a gala family concert with tribal dancers and drummers in traditional costumes in the nation's capital Port Moresby. Endi