The Indonesian government has issued a regulation officially renaming West Irian Jaya province as West Papua province.
The Jakarta Post says the public administration office at the Home Ministry, has given the Papua and West Papua provincial administrations one year to conduct a public awareness campaigns on the new name.
It says while publicizing the new provincial name, both names can be used until April 18 next year.
The office says the new name, proposed by the residents of West Irian Jaya, is aimed at identifying the social entity and ethnic group of Papua.
The Indonesian government decided several years ago to break Papua province into several smaller provinces - West Papua was the first of these to be established.
The use of the name West Papua has angered some self determination groups which apply that name to all of the Indonesian part of New Guinea island.
