Statistical information Papua New Guinea 1992

Papua New Guinea in the World

Papua New Guinea - Introduction 1992

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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.

Papua New Guinea - Geography 1992

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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 461,690 km²
Land: 451,710 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: 820 km; Indonesia 820 km

Coastline: 5,152 km

Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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

Elevation

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

Land use

Land use:

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

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography

Papua New Guinea - People 1992

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Population: 4,006,509 (July 1992), growth rate 2.3% (1992)

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:

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%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 34 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes
Current issues note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 67 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male, 56 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1992)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment

Papua New Guinea - Government 1992

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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
National Parliament:

last held 13-26 June 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent by party NA; seats - (109 total) Pangu Party 24,
PDM 17, PPP 10, PAP 10, independents 30, others 18

Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

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

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009; telephone (202) 745-3,680
US: Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96,553); telephone 675 211-455 or 594, 654; FAX 675 213-423

Diplomatic representation

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

Papua New Guinea - Economy 1992

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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 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 was led by the mining sector; the opening of a large new gold mine featured in the advance.

GDP: exchange rate conversion - $3.1 billion, per capita $800; real growth rate 9% (1991)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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:

growth rate 2.4% (1990 est.); accounts for 25% of
GDP

Labor force: NA
Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members

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 $1.26 billion; expenditures $1.46 billion, including capital expenditures of $273 million (1992 est.)

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: $1.14 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: copper ore, gold, coffee, logs, palm oil, cocoa, lobster
Partners: FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US

Imports: $1.18 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
Commodoties: machinery and transport equipment, food, fuels, chemicals, consumer goods
Partners: Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1 - 1.0413 (March 1992), 1.0508 (1991), 1.0467 (1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987)

Papua New Guinea - Energy 1992

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Electricity
Production: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita

Papua New Guinea - Communication 1992

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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions

Papua New Guinea - Military 1992

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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp:

exchange rate conversion - $42 million, 1.3% of
GDP (1989 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups

Papua New Guinea - Transportation 1992

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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

503 total, 460 usable; 18 with permanent-surface runways; none
with runways over 3,659 m; 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 39
with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 10,940 km

Merchant marine:

8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,102 GRT/16,016
DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 combination ore/oil, 1 bulk, 1 container

Civil air: about 15 major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals

Papua New Guinea - Transnational issues 1992

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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs