1995 Edition

Area

total area: 461,690 sq km land area: 451,710 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than California

Climate

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

Coastline

5,152 km

Environment

current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mudslides international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total 820 km, Indonesia 820 km

Land use

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 71% other: 28%

Location

Southeastern Asia, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

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

Note

shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Age structure

0-14 years: 41% (female 847,208; male 892,718) 15-64 years: 57% (female 1,161,961; male 1,268,266) 65 years and over: 2% (female 66,759; male 57,838) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

33.2 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

10.18 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Infant mortality rate

61.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

NA

Languages

English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region note: 715 indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.85 years male: 56.01 years female: 57.74 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 52% male: 65% female: 38%

Nationality

noun: Papua New Guinean(s) adjective: Papua New Guinean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

4,294,750 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

2.3% (1995 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects 10%, indigenous beliefs 34%

Total fertility rate

4.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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

Constitution

16 September 1975

Digraph

PP

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Kepas Isimel WATANGIA chancery: 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Wiwa KOROWI (since NA November 1991) head of government: Prime Minister Sir Julius CHAN (since 30 August 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Chris HAIVETA (since 7 September 1994) cabinet: National Executive Council; appointed by the governor on recommendation of the prime minister

FAX

[1] (202) 745-3679

[675] 213423

Flag

divided diagonally from upper hoist-side 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 the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

ACP, APEC, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, NAM (observer), SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Names

conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea conventional short form: Papua New Guinea

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

National Parliament

(sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly) elections last held 13-26 June 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (109 total) Pangu Party 24, PDM 17, PPP 10, PAP 10, independents 30, others 18; note - association with political parties is fluid

Political parties and leaders

Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Jack GENIA; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Paias WINGTI; People's Action Party (PAP), Akoka DOI; People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius CHAN; United Party (UP), Paul TORATO; Papua Party (PP), Galeva KWARARA; National Party (NP), Paul PORA; Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John MOMIS

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. TEARE embassy: Armit Street, Port Moresby mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96553 telephone: [675] 211455, 211594, 211654

Agriculture

Accounts for 25% 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

Budget

revenues: $1.33 billion expenditures: $1.36 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Currency

1 kina (K) = 100 toea

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million

Electricity

capacity: 490,000 kW production: 1.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 390 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

kina (K) per US$1 - 0.8565 (December 1994), 0.9950 (1994), 1.0221 (1993), 1.0367 (1992), 1.0504 (1991), 1.0467 (1990); note - the government floated the kina on 10 October 1994

Exports

$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: gold, copper ore, oil, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, lobster partners: Australia, Japan, US, Singapore, New Zealand

External debt

$3.2 billion (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals partners: Australia, Japan, UK, New Zealand, Netherlands

Industrial production

accounts for 32% of GDP

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.6% (1994)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$2,200 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

6.1% (1994 est.)

Overview

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 85% 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 have helped sustain the economy. Robust growth in 1991-92 was led by the mining sector; the opening of a large new gold mine helped the advance. At the start of 1995, Port Moresby is looking primarily to the exploitation of mineral and petroleum resources to drive economic development but new prospecting in Papua New Guinea has slumped as other mineral-rich countries have stepped up their competition for international investment. Output from current projects will probably begin to taper off in 1996, but no new large ventures are being developed to succeed them.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 31, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

more than 70,000 telephones (1987); services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services local: NA intercity: mostly radio telephone international: submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station; international radio communication service

Television

broadcast stations: 2 (1987) televisions: NA

Airports

total: 505 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5 with paved runways under 914 m: 411 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 12 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 63

Highways

total: 19,200 km paved: 640 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 10,960 km; unimproved earth 7,600 km

Inland waterways

10,940 km

Merchant marine

total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,565 GRT/27,071 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 3, combination ore/oil 5, container 1, roll-on/roll-off 1

Ports

Kieta, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul

Railroads

0 km

Branches

Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Army, Navy, and Air Force)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 1.8% of GDP (1993 est.) ________________________________________________________________________ PARACEL ISLANDS

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 1,111,661; males fit for military service 618,696 (1995 est.)