Map of Papua New Guinea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: Southeast Asia, just north of Australia, between Indonesia and the Solomon Islands

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 461,690 km²
Land: 451,710 km²

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 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

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

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 4,100,714 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.32% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
Adjective: Papua New Guinean

Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

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

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.32% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 33.77 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 10.57 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

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: 64.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 56.02 years
Male: 55.19 years
Female: 56.88 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.75 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 52%
Male: 65%
Female: 38%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional short form: Papua New Guinea

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Moresby

Administrative divisions:

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: 18 years of age; universal

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:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: (202) 745-3,680
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND
From the us embassy: Armit Street, Port Moresby
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96,553
From the us telephone: 675 211-455 or 594, 654
From the us fax: 675 213-423

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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 8.5% (1992)

Real gdp per capita ppp

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, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production, mining of gold, silver, and copper, construction, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%; accounts for 21% of GDP

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.33 billion; expenditures $1.49 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
Commodoties: gold, copper ore, coffee, logs, palm oil, cocoa, lobster
Partners: FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US

Imports: $1.6 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 - 1.0065 (January 1993), 1.0367 (1992), 1.0504 (1991), 1.0467 (1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 400,000 kW capacity; 1,600 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1992)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $55 million, 1.8% of GDP (1993 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: 504
Usable: 457
With permanentsurface runways: 18
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 39

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 10,940 km

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs