| Background: |
The eastern half
of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world -
was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in
1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902,
which occupied the northern portion during World War I and
continued to administer the combined areas until
independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the
island of Bougainville ended in 1997, after claiming some
20,000 lives. |
| 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 |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
6 00 S, 147 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
462,840 sq km
land: 452,860 sq km
water: 9,980 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than California |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
820 km
border countries: Indonesia 820 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 |
| 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 |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m |
| Natural
resources: |
gold, copper,
silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
0.1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 92.9%
other: 6% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
active volcanism;
situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the
country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe
earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis |
| Environment
- current issues: |
rain forest
subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial
demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects;
severe drought |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
| Geography
- note: |
shares island of
New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps
along southwest coast |
| Population: |
5,049,055 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
38.7% (male 993,248; female 960,647)
15-64 years: 57.63% (male 1,507,064; female
1,402,666)
65 years and over: 3.67% (male 87,779; female
97,651) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.43% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
32.15
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.88 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
58.21
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 63.46 years
male: 61.39 years
female: 65.64 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.3 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.22% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
5,400 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
450 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Papua New Guinean(s)
adjective: Papua New Guinean |
| Ethnic
groups: |
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 10%, indigenous
beliefs 34% |
| Languages: |
English spoken by
1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua
region
note: 715 indigenous languages |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.2%
male: 81%
female: 62.7% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea
abbreviation: PNG |
| Government
type: |
constitutional
monarchy with parliamentary democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
20 provinces;
Bougainville, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New
Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay,
Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, 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 Silas ATOPARE (since 13
November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Mekere
MORAUTA (since NA August 1999); Deputy Prime Minister
Michael OGIO (since 3 November 2000)
cabinet: National Executive Council appointed
by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime
minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
governor general appointed by the National Executive
Council; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed
by the governor general for up to five years on the basis of
majority support in National Parliament |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Parliament - sometimes referred to as the House of
Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open electorates and 20
from provincial electorates; members elected by popular vote
to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14-28 June 1997 (next to
be held NA June 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party -
PPP 15%, Pangu Pati 14%, NA 14%, PDM 8%, PNC 6%, PAP 5%, UP
3%, NP 1%, PUP 1%, independents 33%; seats by party - PPP
16, Pangu Pati 15, NA 15, PDM 9, PNC 7, PAP 5, UP 3, NP 1,
PUP 1, independents 37; note - association with political
parties is very fluid |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court
(the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on
the proposal of the National Executive Council after
consultation with the minister responsible for justice;
other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal
Services Commission) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
National Alliance
or NA [Michael SOMARE]; National Party or NP [Michael MEL];
Papua New Guinea United Party or Pangu Pati [Chris HAIVETA];
People's Action Party or PAP [Ted DIRO]; People's Democratic
Movement or PDM [Sir Mekere MORAUTA]; People's National
Congress or PNC [Simon KAUMI]; People's Progress Party or
PPP [Michael NALI]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Alfred
KAIABE]; United Party or UP [Rimbiuk PATO] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, APEC, ARF
(dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Susan JACOBS
chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680
FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Arma Jane KARAER
embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby
mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby
telephone: [675] 321-1455
FAX: [675] 321-3423 |
| Flag
description: |
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 infrastructure. Agriculture provides a
subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral
deposits, including oil, copper, and gold, account for 72%
of export earnings. The 3.4% average annual growth rate of
GDP during 1979-1998 conceals considerable year-to-year
variation resulting from external economic shocks, natural
disasters, and economic management problems. There has been
little growth in the last half of the 1990s, with real GDP
in 1999 barely 3% higher than in 1994, not enough to
compensate for population growth. A new administration under
the leadership of Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA in July 1999
has promised to restore integrity to state institutions, to
stabilize the kina, to restore stability to the national
budget, to privatize public enterprises where appropriate,
and to ensure ongoing peace on Bougainville. The government
has had considerable success in attracting international
support, specifically gaining the support of the IMF and the
World Bank in securing development assistance loans.
Significant challenges remain for MORAUTA, however,
including gaining further investor confidence, specifically
for the proposed Papua New Guinea-Australia oil pipeline,
continuing efforts to privatize government assets, and in
maintaining the support from members of Parliament who after
15 July 2001 can dismiss him with a vote of no-confidence. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $12.2 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.9% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $2,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
30%
industry: 35%
services: 35% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
37% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
1.7%
highest 10%: 40.5% (1996) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
17% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.941 million |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 85%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$1.6 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
| Industries: |
copra crushing,
palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip
production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil
production; construction, tourism |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
1.82 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
54.95%
hydro: 45.05%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
1.693 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
coffee, cocoa,
coconuts, palm kernels, tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit,
vegetables; poultry, pork |
| Exports: |
$2.1 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
oil, gold, copper
ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns |
| Exports
- partners: |
Australia 30%,
Japan 12%, Germany 7%, South Korea 4%, Philippines 3%, UK 3%
(1999) |
| Imports: |
$1 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels,
chemicals |
| Imports
- partners: |
Australia 53%,
Singapore 13%, Japan 6%, US 4%, New Zealand 4%, Malaysia 4%
(1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$2.9 billion
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$400 million
(1999 est.) |
| Exchange
rates: |
kina per US
dollar - 2.81 (October 2000), 2.696 (2000), 2.539 (1999),
2.058 (1998), 1.434 (1997), 1.318 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
47,000 (1996) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
3,053 (1996) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: services are adequate and being
improved; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph,
coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio
communication services
domestic: mostly radiotelephone
international: submarine cables to Australia
and Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific
Ocean); international radio communication service |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 8, FM 19,
shortwave 28 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
3 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
42,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.pg |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
2,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
19,600 km
paved: 686 km
unpaved: 18,914 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Kieta, Lae,
Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 35,361 GRT/51,096 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 9, chemical tanker
1, combination ore/oil 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 3,
roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
492 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
472
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 57
under 914 m: 402 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Papua New Guinea
Defense Force (includes Ground, Naval, and Air Forces, and
Special Forces Unit) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 1,306,159 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 723,012 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$42 million
(FY98) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1% (FY98) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
