coastal town, island of New Guinea, northern Papua New Guinea, southwestern Pacific Ocean. Wewak is situated near the mouth of the Sepik River. Economic activities are limited due to primitive hinterland conditions, but there are some coffee and coconut plantations in the area. Wewak originated as an outlet for the Sepik goldfield (discovered in the early 1930s but now abandoned). It is a port of call for coastal and Australian shipping (cargo is ferried ashore), with an international airport. It is linked by road to Maprik, 40 miles (64 km) west, to several settlements on the Sepik River to the south, and by a coastal road to Aitape, some 100 miles (160 km) to the northwest. Pop. (2000) 19,724.