1984 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1984 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
- main crops — coffee, cocoa, coconuts, timber, tea
- export crops of copra, cocoa, coffee, some livestock and fish production; subsistence crops of copra, taro, yams
Aid
- economic — Australia, $1,158 million committed (1976-81); World Bank group (1968-September 1969), $14.8 million committed; US, including Ex-Im (FY70-82), $125 million; other Western countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-81), $687 million
- Australia (1980-83), $14.4 million
Airfields
- 528 total, 429 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 40 with runways 1,2202,439 m
- 29 total, 26 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
- none
Area
- 475,369 km2; 70% forest; 3% cultivated; 2% pasture; 25% other
- About 14,763 km2 Water
Branch
unicameral legislature (39-member Parliament), elected November 1983
Branches
- executive — National Executive • Council; legislature — House of Assembly (109 members); judiciary — court system consists of Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea and various inferior courts (district courts, local courts, children's courts, wardens' courts)
- Papua New Guinea Defense Force
- President heads executive; bicameral legislature (Senate, Chamber of Deputies); judiciary headed by Supreme Court
- the Pope possesses full executive, legislative, and judicial powers; he delegates these powers to the President of the Pontifical Commission, who is subject to pontifical appointment and recall; the administrative structure of the Roman Catholic Church is known as the Roman Curia, its most important temporal components include the Secretariat of State and Council for Public Affairs (which handles Vatican diplomacy) and the Prefecture of Economic Affairs; the College of Cardinals act as chief papal advisers
Budget
(1983) $1.02 million
Capital
- Port Moresby
- Asuncion
- PortVila Vanuatu (continued) Vatican City
- Vatican City
Civil air
- about 15 major transport aircraft Paraguay
- no major transport aircraft
- no major transport aircraft
Coastline
- about 5,152 km People
- about 5,313 km People
- about 2,528 km People
- 2,800 km People
Communists
- no significant strength
- Oscar Creydt faction and Miguel Angel Soler faction (both illegal); est. 3,000 to 4,000 party members and sympathizers in Paraguay, very few are hard core; party in exile is small and deeply divided
- none known
Elections
- preferential-type elections for 109-member House of Assembly every five years, last held in June 1982
- President and Congress elected together every five years (last election February 1983) Political parties and leaders: Colorado Party, Juan Ramon Chaves; Liberal Party, Fulvio Hugo Celauro; Febrerista Party, Alarico Quinones Cabral; Radical Liberal Party, German Acosta Caballero; Christian Democratic Party, Romulo Perina
- Supreme Pontiff elected for life by College of Cardinals
Electric power
- 664,100 kW capacity (1983); 1.4 billion kWh produced (1983), 430 kWh per capita
- 10,000 kW capacity (1981); 20 million kWh produced (1981), 163 kWh per capita
- 2,100 kW (standby) capacity (1983); all power is imported from Italy
Ethnic divisions
- predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
- 95% mestizo (Spanish and Indian), 5% white and Indian
- 93.0% Melanesian, 4.0% Polynesian, 1.5% Micronesian, 0.8% European, 0.3% Chinese, 0.4% others
- 90% indigenous Melanesian; 8% French; remainder Vietnamese, Chinese, and various Pacific Islanders
- primarily Italians but also many other nationalities
- 67% mestizo, 21% white, 10% black, 2% Indian
Exports
- $960.0 million (f .o.b., 1979); copper, coconut products, coffee beans, cocoa, copra, timber
- $24 million (1980); 24% copra, 59% frozen fish, meat
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GNP
$2 billion (1980), $650 per capita; real growth (1979) 3% est.
Government leader
- Gen. (Ret.) Alfredo STROESSNER, President
- Father Walter Hayde LINI, Prime Minister Political parties and leaders: National Party (Vanuaaku Pati), chairman Walter Lini
- JOHN PAUL II, Supreme Pontiff (Karol WOJTYLA, elected Pope 16 October 1978)
Government leaders
Sir Kingsford DIBELA, Governor General; Michael Thomas SOMARE, Prime Minister
Highways
- 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 1 0,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
- at least 240 km sealed or allweather roads
- none (city streets)
Imports
- $935.5 million (c.i.f., 1979)
- $53 million (1980); 18% food
Inland waterways
- 10,940 km
- none
Labor force
- 1.44 million (1979); 352,500 (1980) in salaried employment; 53% agriculture, 20% government, 17% industry and commerce, 10% services Government
- 1.2 million (1982); 44% agriculture; 34% industry and commerce, 18% services; 4% government; unemployment rate 3.3% (1980)
- approx. 700; Vatican City employees divided into three categories — executives, officeworkers, and salaried employees
- 4.3 million (1981); 27% services; 22% commerce; 16% agriculture; 16% manufacturing; 9% construction; 7% transportation; 3% petroleum, utilities, and other
Land boundaries
- 966 km Water
- 3,444 km People
- 3 km People
- 4,181 km Water
Language
- 715 indigenous languages; pidgin English in much of the country and Motu in Papua region are linguae francae; English spoken by 1-2% of population
- Spanish (official) and Guarani
- Italian, Latin, and various other languages
- Spanish (official); Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000 Amerindians in the remote interior
Languages
- English (official), local languages
- English and French (official); pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama)
Legal system
- based on English common law
- based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; constitution promulgated 1967; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; legal education at National University of Asuncion and Catholic University of Our Lady of the Assumption; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
- unified system being created from former dual French and British systems
- Canon law; constitutional laws of 1929 serve some of the functions of a constitution
Limits of territorial waters
- 3 nm (fishing 200 nm)
- 12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
- 12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)
- 12 nm plus 3 nm contiguous zone for customs and sanitation (economic, including fishing, 200 nm)
Literacy
- 32%
- 81%
- 60%
- probably 10%-20% Government
- 100%
- 85.6%
Major industries
sawmilling and timber processing, copper mining (Bougainville), fish canning
Major trade partners
Australia, UK, Japan
Member
IAEA, INTELSAT, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, UPU, WIPO, WTO; permanent observer status at FAO, OAS, UN, and UNESCO Economy The Vatican City, seat of the Holy See, is supported financially by contributions (known as Peter's pence) from Roman Catholics throughout the world; some income derived from sale of Vatican postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to Vatican museums, and sale of publications; industrial activity consists solely of printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; the banking and financial activities of the Vatican are worldwide; the Institute for Religious Works (IOR) carries out fiscal operations and invests and transfers funds of Roman Catholic religious communities throughout the world; the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See manages the Holy See's capital assets; the Vatican announced an operating deficit of $25 million for 1981
Member of
- ADB, ANRPC, CIPEC (associate), Commonwealth, ESCAP (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, South Pacific Commission, South Pacific Forum, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO Economy
- ADB, Commonwealth, G-77, IFC, IMF, ITU, South Pacific Forum, UN Economy
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 31 December 1983, $28.0 million; about 3% of central government budget Land 406,750 km2; 52% forest; 24% meadow and pasture; 22% urban, waste, and other; 2% crop
Military manpower
males 15-49, 808,000; about 447,000 fit for military service
Monetary conversion rate
- .8658 kina= US$1 (February 1984)
- 102.034 vantus=US$l; 1.0778 Australian dollars= US$1 (February 1984) Communications
- the Vatican issues its own coinage, which is interchangeable with the Italian lira; 1690.25 lira=US$l (February 1984) Communications
National holiday
- Independence Day, 16 September
- Independence Day, 14 May
- 30 June
Nationality
- noun — Papua New Guinean(s); adjective — Papua New Guinean
- noun — Paraguayan(s); adjective — Paraguayan
- noun — Solomon Islander(s); adjective — Solomon Islander
- noun — Vanuatuan(s); adjective — Vanuatuan
- noun — Venezuelan(s); adjective — Venezuelan
NOTE
This archipelagic nation includes southern Solomon Islands, primarily Guadalcanal, Malaita, San Cristobal, Santa Isabel, Choiseul. Northern Solomon Islands constitute part of Papua New Guinea. Land About 29,785 km2 Water
Official name
- Papua New Guinea
- Republic of Paraguay
- Republic of Vanuatu
- State of the Vatican City
Organized labor
- about 5% of labor force Government
- none Government
Other political or pressure groups
- Popular Colorado Movement (MoPoCo) led by Epifanio Mendez, in exile; National Accord includes MoPoCo and Febrerista, Radical Liberal, and Christian Democratic Parties
- none (exclusive of influence exercised by other church officers in universal Roman Catholic Church)
Personnel
no military forces maintained; however, the French and British maintain constabularies of about 100 men each Land 0.438 km2
Political parties
Pangu Party, People's Progress Party, United Party, Papua Besena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance
Political subdivisions
- 19 provinces
- 19 departments and the national capital
- four administrative districts
- Vatican City includes St. Peter's, the Vatican Palace and Museum, and neighboring buildings covering more Venezuela than 13 acres; 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer residence, although outside the boundaries, enjoy extraterritorial rights
Population
- 3,353,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 2.8%
- 3,623,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 2.7%
- 263,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 3.7%
- 130, 000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 2.7%
- 1,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 0.1%
- 18,552,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 3.1%
Ports
- 5 principal, 9 minor
- 2 minor (PortVila, Luganville)
Railroads
- none
- none
- none
Religion
- over half of population nominally Christian (490,000 Catholic, 320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects); remainder indigenous beliefs
- 97% Roman Catholic; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
- almost all at least nominally Christian; Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Methodist churches dominant
- most at least nominally Christian
- Roman Catholic
- 96% nominally Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant
Suffrage
- universal adult
- universal; compulsory between ages of 18-60
- limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Supply
dependent on Australia
Telecommunications
- Papua New Guinea telecom services are adequate and are being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend from Madang to Australia and Guam; 45,274 telephones (1.5 per 100popl.);31 AM, no FM, and no TV stations Defense Forces
- 2 AM broadcast stations; 2,400 telephones (2.4 per 100 popl.); 1 ground satellite station under construction Defense Forces
- 2 AM and 2 FM stations; 2,000-line automatic telephone exchange Defense Forces Defense is responsibility of Italy Atttntic Ocean Land 912,050 km2; 21% forest; 18% pasture; 4% cropland; 57% urban, waste, or other
Type
- independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state
- republic; under authoritarian rule
- republic, formerly Anglo-French condominium of New Hebrides, independent 30 July 1980
- monarchical-sacerdotal state
Voting strength
(February 1983 general election) 90% Colorado Party, 5.6% Radical Liberal Party, 3.2% Liberal Party; Febrerista Party boycotted elections