Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese,
silver, gold, lead, copper

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 14%
forest and woodland: 51%
other: 35%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: NA
natural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to March
international agreements: NA

People ———

Population: 187,784 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 28,941; female 27,929)
15-64 years: 64% (male 61,263; female 59,673)
65 years and over: 6% (male 4,750; female 5,228) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.72% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 21.75 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)