1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Administrative divisions
20 provinces
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
Climate
tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
5,152 km
Communists
no significant strength
Comparative area
slightly larger than California
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Elections
preferential-type elections for 109-member House of Assembly every five years, last held in June 1982
Environment
one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes
Ethnic divisions
predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Government leaders
Sir Kingsford DIBELA, Governor General (since March 1983); Paias WINGTI, Prime Minister (since November 1985)
Infant mortality rate
102/1,000 (1985)
Labor force
1.66 million (1980); 732,806 (1980) in salaried employment; 54% agriculture, 25% government, 9% industry and commerce, 8% services
Land boundary
966 km with Indonesia
Land use
NEGL% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 71% forest and woodland; 28% other
Language
715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
Legal system
based on English common law
Life expectancy
50
Literacy
32%
Maritime claims
(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Member of
ADB, ANRPC, CIPEC (associate), Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, South Pacific Commission, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 16 September
Nationality
noun — Papua New Guinean(s); adjective — Papua New Guinean
Political parties
Pangu Party, People's Progress Party, United Party, Papua Besena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance
Population
3,563,743 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.41%
Religion
over half of population nominally Christian (490,000 Catholic, 320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects); remainder indigenous beliefs
Special notes
none
Suffrage
universal adult
Terrain
mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
Total area
500 fcm South Pacific Ocean ' New Ireland Cora/ Sea
Type
independent parliamentary state within Commonwealth recognizing Elizabeth II as head of state
Government
Official name
Independent State of
Economy
Agriculture
coffee, cocoa, coconuts, timber, tea
Electric power
750,000 kW capacity; 1,700 million kWh produced, 500 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$920 million (f.o.b., 1985); gold, copper, coffee, palm oil, logs, cocoa, copra, coconut oil, tea
GNP
$2.2 billion, $680 per capita; real growth 2.2% (1984); 3.7% inflation rate (1985)
Imports
$969 million (f.o.b., 1984); machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, food and live animals, chemicals, other manufactured goods
Major industries
sawmilling and timber processing, copper mining (Bougainville), fish canning
Major trade partners
Australia, UK,
Natural resources
gold, copper, silver, gas