Match 190 DB Rec# - 7,642 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Papua New Guinea
Text :
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
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
Geography
Note:
shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps
along southwest coast
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
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
Government
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
Economy
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
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
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
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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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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