PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
@Papua New Guinea:Geography
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
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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PORT MORESBY 152,000 9.30S,147.07E 675- GMT+10
Lae 80,000 6.45S,147.00E 675- GMT+10
Madang 25,000 5.15S,145.50E 675- GMT+10
Wewak 23,000 3.35S,143.40E 675- GMT+10
Goroka 22,000 6.05S,145.25E 675- GMT+10
Rabaul 16,000 4.13S,152.11E 675- GMT+10
Mount Hagen 13,000 5.50S,144.15E 675- GMT+10
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Area:
total area: 461,690 sq km
land area: 451,710 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: total 820 km, Indonesia 820 km
Coastline: 5,152 km
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
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast
monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil
potential
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 71%
other: 28%
Irrigated land: NA sq 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
Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's
largest swamps along southwest coast
@Papua New Guinea:People
Population: 4,294,750 (July 1995 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate: 2.3% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 33.2 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 10.18 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 61.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.85 years
male: 56.01 years
female: 57.74 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.55 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
adjective: Papua New Guinean
Ethnic divisions: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
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%
Languages: English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu
spoken in Papua region
note: 715 indigenous languages
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 52%
male: 65%
female: 38%
Labor force: NA
@Papua New Guinea:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
Digraph: PP
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Moresby
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
Independence: 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN
trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Constitution: 16 September 1975
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
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
Legislative branch: unicameral
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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
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
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
FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679
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
FAX: [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
Economy
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.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 6.1% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,200 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $1.33 billion
expenditures: $1.36 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)
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
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
External debt: $3.2 billion (1992)
Industrial production: accounts for 32% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 490,000 kW
production: 1.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 390 kWh (1993)
Industries: copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production,
wood chip production, mining of gold, silver, and copper,
construction, tourism
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
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
Currency: 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
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
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Papua New Guinea:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
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
Ports: Kieta, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
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
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
@Papua New Guinea:Communications
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
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 31, FM 2, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 2 (1987)
televisions: NA
@Papua New Guinea:Defense Forces
Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Army, Navy, and Air
Force)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,111,661; males fit for
military service 618,696 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 1.8% of
GDP (1993 est.)
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