1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
475,369 km2
Coastline
about 5,152 km
Land boundaries
966 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
Labor force
1.44 million (1979); agriculture, forestry, fishing employ 85% of labor force; 200,000 (1979 est.) in salaried employment
Language
715 indigenous languages; pidgin English in much of the country and Motu in Papua region are linguae francae; English spoken by 1% to 2% of population
Literacy
15%; in English, 0.1%
Nationality
noun—Papua New Guinean(s); adjective—Papua New Guinean
Population
3,126,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.2%
Religion
over one-half of population nominally Christian (490,000 Catholic, 320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects); remainder animist
Government
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)
Capital
Port Moresby
Communists
no significant strength
Elections
preferential-type elections for 109-member House of Assembly every five years, next held in June 1982
Government leaders
Governor General Sir Tore LOKO-LOKO; Prime Minister Sir Julius CHAN
Legal system
based on English common law
Member of
ADB, CIPEC (associate), Commonwealth, ESCAP (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, South Pacific Commission, South Pacific Forum, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO (associate)
National holiday
Independence Day, 16 September
Official name
Papua New Guinea
Political parties
Pangu Party, People's Progress Party, United Party, Papua Besena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance
Political subdivisions
19 administrative districts (15 in New Guinea, 4 in Papua)
Suffrage
universal adult suffrage
Type
independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state
Economy
Agriculture
main crops—coffee, cocoa, coconuts, timber, tea
Aid
economic—Australia, $1,158 million committed (1976-81); World Bank group (1968-September 1969), $14.8 million committed; US, Ex-Im bank loans (FY70-73), $32.5 million extended
Budget
(1979) $759 million
Electric power
425,000 kW capacity (1980); 1.275 billion kWh produced (1980), 398 kWh per capita
Exports
$960.0 million (f.o.b., 1979); copper, coconut products, coffee beans, cocoa, copra, timber
Fiscal year
calendar year
GNP
$2.05 billion (FY79 est.), $650 per capita; real growth (1979) 3% est
Imports
$935.5 million (c.i.f., 1979)
Major industries
sawmilling and timber processing, copper mining (Bougainville)
Major trade partners
Australia, UK, Japan
Monetary conversion rate
Kina $1=US$1.5 (December 1980)
Communications
Airfields
535 total, 433 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 41 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
about 15 major transport aircraft
Highways
19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways
10,940 km
Ports
5 principal, 9 minor
Railroads
none
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 100 popl.); 31 AM, no FM and no TV stations
Military and Security
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 30 June 1982, $33.6 million; 3.0% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 748,000; about 413,000 fit for military service
Supply
dependent on Australia