Map of Papua New Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 820 km with Indonesia

Coastline: 5,152 km

Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 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

Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential

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

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia


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Population: 3,822,875 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Papua New Guinean(s; adjective--Papua New Guinean

Ethnic groups: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian

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

Religions: over half of population nominally Christian (490,000 Roman Catholic, 320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects; remainder indigenous beliefs

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 34 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 56 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 32%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea

Government 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

Constitution: 16 September 1975

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: 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)

Legislative branch: Papua New Guinea Defense Force

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,036; 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 p675o 211-455 or 594, 654

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture 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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

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

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: gold, copper ore, coffee, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster
Partners: FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US

Imports: $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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.5 billion (December 1988)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1--1.1592 (December 1989), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000 (1985)


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

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.3% of GDP, or $42 million (1989 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 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 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 10,940 km

Merchant marine: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,675 GRT/27,954 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs