1989 Edition

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

Capital

Port Moresby

Climate

tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

5,152km

Communists

no significant strength

Comparative area

slightly larger than California

Constitution

16 September 1975

Continental shelf

200 meters or to depth of exploitation

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 659-0856; US — Ambassador-designate William FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone [675] 21 1-455 or 594, 654

Elections

National Parliament — last held 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4 July 1992); results— PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, others 11.6%; seats— (109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, others 14

Environment

one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister. National Executive Council (cabinet)

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Flag

divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center

divided diagonally from upper hoistside 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

Independence

16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Land boundary

820 km with Indonesia

Land use

NEGL% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 71% forest and woodland; 28% other

Leaders

Chief of State — Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18 January 1990); Head of Government — Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July 1988); Deputy Prime Minister Akoko DOI (since 7 July 1988)

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly)

Maritime claims

(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)

Member of

ACP, ADB, ANRPC, CIPEC (associate). Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

Natural resources

gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential

Note

shares island of New Guinea with

Political parties

Pangu Party, People's Progress Party, United Party, Papua Besena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Territorial sea

3 nm

Total area

461,690 km2; land area: 451,710km2

Type

parliamentary democracy

Agriculture

accounts for 10% of GDP (1989 est.), 26% of labor force (1987); crops — bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products

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

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $515 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $568 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $4 million

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $38.8 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $5.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million

Budget

revenues $598 million; expenditures $750 million, including capital expenditures of SNA (1989 est.)

revenues $962 million; expenditures $998 million, including capital expenditures of $169 million (1988)

Currency

balboa (plural — balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos

kina (plural — kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea

Electricity

1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,270 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1989)

397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

balboas (B) per US$1— 1.000 (fixed rate)

kina (K) per US$1— 1.1 592 (December 1989), 1.1685(1989), 1.1538(1988), 1.1012(1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000(1985)

Exports

$220 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities — bananas 40%, shrimp 27%, coffee 4%, sugar, petroleum products; partners — US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)

$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— gold, copper ore, coffee, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster; partners — FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US

External debt

$5.2 billion (November 1989 est.)

$2.5 billion (December 1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

calendar year

GDP

$3.9 billion, per capita $1,648; real growth rate -7.5% (1989 est.)

$3.26 billion, per capita $890; real growth rate 1.2% (1988 est.)

Imports

$830 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities — foodstuffs 16%, capital goods 9%, crude oil 1 6%, consumer goods, chemicals; partners — US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)

$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— machinery and transport equipment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer goods; partners — Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK

Industrial production

growth rate —4.1% (1989 est.)

growth rate NA%

Industries

manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products

copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip production, gold, silver, copper, construction, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

—0.1% (1989 est.)

5% ( 1 988 est.)

Overview

The GDP contracted an estimated 7.5% in 1989, following a drop of 20% in 1988. Political instability, lack of credit, and the erosion of business confidence prompted declines of 20-70% in the financial, agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, and construction sectors between 1987 and 1989. Transits through the Panama Canal were off slightly, as were toll revenues. Unemployment remained about 23% during 1989. Imports of foodstuffs and crude oil increased during 1989, but capital goods imports continued their slide. Exports were widely promoted by Noriega trade delegations, but sales abroad remained stagnant.

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 more than half 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 help sustain the economy.

Unemployment rate

23% (1989 est.)

5% (1988)

Airports

123 total, 112 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,2202,439 m

575 total, 455 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 38 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the forces, with more civilian control, under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF)

Papua New Guinea Defense Force

Civil air

about 1 5 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

2.0% of GDP (1987) 500km South Pacific Ocean New Ireland . na • . . -xl » C~-*~Vr^ K Bouoaim,/Je PORT MORESBY Coral Sea

1.3% of GDP, or $42 million (1989 est.)

Highways

8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth

19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth

Inland waterways

800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

10,940 km

Merchant marine

3,187 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,502,092 GRT/ 72,961,250 DWT; includes 34 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,087 cargo, 179 refrigerated cargo, 186 container, 71 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 136 vehicle carrier, 7 livestock carrier, 9 multifunction large-load carrier, 315 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 184 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/ oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 767 bulk, 58 combination bulk; note — all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 41%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US 7% (China owns at least 144 ships, Yugoslavia 12, Cuba 6, and Vietnam 9) Civil air 16 major transport aircraft

1 1 ships (1,000 CRT or over) totaling 18,675 GRT/27,954 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk

Military manpower

males 15-49, 628,327; 433,352 fit for military service; no conscription

males 15-49, 952,454; 529,570 fit for military service

Pipelines

crude oil, 1 30 km

Ports

Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas

Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul

Railroads

238 km total; 78 km 1.524meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge

Telecommunications

domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations— 91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable Defense Forces

services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); stations— 31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense Forces