Puncak Jaya, the only snowy area in Indonesia, also the highest mountain in Indonesia, located in the province of Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), which lies on the western half of the island of New Guinea. Puncak Jaya means “Great Peak.” Puncak Jaya sits at the western end of the Sudirman Mountains, a division of the main Maoke Mountains. It is 5,030 m (16,503 ft) tall and, though lying in the tropics, permanently snow capped.
The surrounding ranges are rugged, effectively isolating Puncak Jaya with a wall of high peaks, though the mountain is visible from the sea and low swamplands to the south. Several small glaciers are also nearby. The region around Puncak Jaya is rich in copper. Tembagapura, a service town for a large copper mine, is located nearby. Puncak Jaya was formerly known as Mount Carstensz.