:Papua New Guinea Geography
Total area:
461,690 km2
Land area:
451,710 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
820 km; Indonesia 820 km
Coastline:
5,152 km
Maritime claims:
(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to
October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Natural resources:
gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential
Land use:
arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest
and woodland 71%; other 28%
Environment:
one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos;
frequent earthquakes
Note:
shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia
:Papua New Guinea People
Population:
4,006,509 (July 1992), growth rate 2.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
34 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
67 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
55 years male, 56 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Papua New Guinean(s); adjective - Papua New Guinean
Ethnic divisions:
predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and
Polynesian
Religions:
Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary
Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%,
other Protestant sects 10%; indigenous beliefs 34%
Languages:
715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English widespread,
Motu spoken in Papua region
Literacy:
52% (male 65%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
NA
Organized labor:
more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members
:Papua New Guinea Government
Long-form name:
Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Port Moresby
Administrative divisions:
20 provinces; Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East
Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New
Ireland, Northern, North Solomons, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western,
Western Highlands, West New Britain
Independence:
16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
Constitution:
16 September 1975
Legal system:
based on English common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
National Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of
Assembly)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Wiwa KOROWI (since NA November 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Paias WINGTI (since 17 July 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie NAMALIU; People's
Democratic Movement (PDM), Paias WINGTI; People's Action Party (PAP), Akoka
DOI; People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius CHAN; United Party (UP), Paul
TORATO; Papua Party (PP), Galeva KWARARA; National Party (NP), Paul PORA;
Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John MOMIS
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
National Parliament:
last held 13-26 June 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent by
party NA; seats - (109 total) Pangu Party 24, PDM 17, PPP 10, PAP 10,
independents 30, others 18
Member of:
ACP, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM
(observer), SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 745-3680
US:
Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing
address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96553); telephone [675]
211-455 or 594, 654; FAX [675] 213-423
:Papua New Guinea Government
Flag:
divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red
with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black
with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation
centered
:Papua New Guinea Economy
Overview:
Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation
has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an
infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the
population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts
for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and
development aid under World Bank auspices have helped sustain the economy.
Robust growth in 1991 was led by the mining sector; the opening of a large
new gold mine featured in the advance.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $3.1 billion, per capita $800; real growth rate
9% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.8% (first half 1991)
Unemployment rate:
5% (1988)
Budget:
revenues $1.26 billion; expenditures $1.46 billion, including capital
expenditures of $273 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
$1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
copper ore, gold, coffee, logs, palm oil, cocoa, lobster
partners:
FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
Imports:
$1.18 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, food, fuels, chemicals, consumer goods
partners:
Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
External debt:
$2.2 billion (April 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.4% (1990 est.); accounts for 25% of GDP
Electricity:
397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip
production, gold, silver, copper, construction, tourism
Agriculture:
one-third of GDP; livelihood for 85% of population; fertile soils and
favorable climate permits cultivating a wide variety of crops; cash crops -
coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other products - tea, rubber, sweet
potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of food for urban
centers
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.5 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
Currency:
kina (plural - kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
Exchange rates:
kina (K) per US$1 - 1.0413 (March 1992), 1.0508 (1991), 1.0467 (1990),
1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year