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. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives. Since 2001 Bougainville has experienced autonomy. Under the terms of a peace accord 2015 is the year that a five-year window opens for a referendum on the question of independence.


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Location: Oceania 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

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 462,840 km²
Land: 452,860 km²
Water: 9,980 km²
Rank: 55
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries
Total: 824 km
Border countries: (1) Indonesia 824 km

Coastline: 5,152 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 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
Extremes highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

Natural resources: gold copper silver natural gas timber oil fisheries

Land use
Agricultural land: 2.6%
Forest: 63.1%
Other: 34.3%

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 801 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis
Volcanism: severe volcanic activity; Ulawun one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Rabaul (elev. 688 m) destroyed the city of Rabaul in 1937 and 1994; Lamington erupted in 1951 killing 3,000 people; Manam's 2004 eruption forced the island's abandonment; other historically active volcanoes include Bam Bagana Garbuna Karkar Langila Lolobau Long Island Pago St. Andrew Strait Victory and Waiowa

Geography
Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast


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Population: 6,672,429 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 106
Growth rate: 1.78% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 66
Below poverty line: 37% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Papua New Guinean
Adjective: Papua New Guinean

Ethnic groups: Melanesian Papuan Negrito Micronesian Polynesian

Languages: Tok Pisin (official) English (official) Hiri Motu (official) some 836 indigenous languages spoken (about 12% of the world's total); most languages have fewer than 1000 speakers
Note: Tok Pisin a creole language is widely used and understood; English is spoken by 1%-2%; Hiri Motu is spoken by less than 2%

Religions: Roman Catholic 27% Protestant 69.4% (Evangelical Lutheran 19.5% United Church 11.5% Seventh-Day Adventist 10% Pentecostal 8.6% Evangelical Alliance 5.2% Anglican 3.2% Baptist 2.5% other Protestant 8.9%) Baha'i 0.3% indigenous beliefs and other 3.3% (2000 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.45%
15-24 years: 19.77%
25-54 years: 36.43%
55-64 years: 5.3%
65 years and over: 4.05% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 67.1%
Youth dependency ratio: 62.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 5%
Potential support ratio: 19.9%

Median age
Total: 22.6 years
Male: 22.8 years
Female: 22.5 years

Population growth rate: 1.78% (2015 est.)
Rank: 66

Birth rate: 24.38 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 58

Death rate: 6.53 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 147

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 85

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 13% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.12% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: PORT MORESBY (capital) 345,000 (2015)

Environment
Current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought
International agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male/female
25-54 years: 1.07 male/female
55-64 years: 1.03 male/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male/female
Total population: 1.05 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 38.55 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 42.12 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 34.81 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 53

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.03 years
Male: 64.81 years
Female: 69.36 years
Rank: 169

Total fertility rate: 3.16 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 51

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 32.4% (2006/07)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.06 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.72% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 53
People living with hivaids: 31,900 (2013 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 69
Deaths: 900 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 69

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25.5% (2014)
Rank: 115

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 27.9% (2011)
Rank: 19

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 64.2%
Male: 65.6%
Female: 62.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
Local short form: Papuaniugini
Former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea
Abbreviation: PNG

Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Port Moresby
Geographic coordinates: 9 27 S 147 11 E
Time difference: UTC+10

Administrative divisions: 20 provinces 1 autonomous region* and 1 district**; Bougainville* Central Chimbu Eastern Highlands East New Britain East Sepik Enga Gulf Hela Jiwaka Madang Manus Milne Bay Morobe National Capital** New Ireland Northern Southern Highlands Western Western Highlands West New Britain West Sepik

Dependent areas

Independence: 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day 16 September (1975)

Constitution: adopted 15 August 1975 effective at independence 16 September 1975; amended many times last in 2003 (2013)

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Governor Michael OGIO (since 25 February 2011)
Head of government: Prime Minister Peter Paire O'NEILL ; Deputy Prime Minister Leo DION (since 9 August 2012)
Cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general nominated by the National Parliament and appointed by the chief of state; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general pending the outcome of a National Parliament vote
Election results: Peter Paire O'NEILL elected prime minister; National Parliament vote - 94 to 12

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Parliament ; note - the constitution allows up to 126 seats
Note: 14 other parties won 3 or fewer seats; association with political parties is fluid
Elections: last held from 23 June 2012 to 27 July 2012
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's National Congress Party 27 Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party 12 PNG Party 8 National Alliance Party 7 United Resources Party 7 People's Party 6 People's Progess Party 6 other 22 independent 16

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court ; National Courts (10 courts located in the province capitals with a total of 16 resident judges)
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the National Executive Council after consultation with the National Justice Administration Minister; deputy chief justice and other justices appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission a 5-member body to include the Supreme Court chief and deputy chief justices the chief ombudsman and a member of the National Parliament; citizen judges appointed for 10-year renewable terms; non-citizen judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; appointment and tenure of National Court resident judges NA
Subordinate courts: district village and juvenile courts

Political parties and leaders:
Note: as of 13 March 2012 41 political parties were registered

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS APEC ARF ASEAN (observer) C CD CP EITI (candidate country) FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU MIGA NAM OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMISS UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Rupa Abraham MALINA
In the us chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW Suite 805 Washington DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] 745-3,680
In the us FAX: [1] 745-3,679
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Walter E. NORTH ; note - also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
From the us embassy: Douglas Street Port Moresby N.C.D.
From the us mailing address: 4,240 Port Moresby Place US Department of State Washington DC 20,521-4,240
From the us telephone: [675] 321-1455
From the us FAX: [675] 321-3,423

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; red black and yellow are traditional colors of Papua New Guinea; the bird of paradise - endemic to the island of New Guinea - is an emblem of regional tribal culture and represents the emergence of Papua New Guinea as a nation; the Southern Cross visible in the night sky symbolizes Papua New Guinea's connection with Australia and several other countries in the South Pacific

National symbols: bird of paradise; national colors: red black

National anthem
Name: 'O Arise All You Sons'
Lyrics and music: Thomas SHACKLADY
Note: adopted 1975

National heritage


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Economy overview: Papua New Guinea (PNG) is richly endowed with natural resources but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain land tenure issues and the high cost of developing infrastructure. The economy has a small formal sector focused mainly on the export of those natural resources and an informal sector employing the majority of the population. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the people. Mineral deposits including copper gold and oil account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. Natural gas reserves amount to an estimated 155 billion cubic meters. A consortium led by a major American oil company is constructing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility that could begin exporting in 2014. As the largest investment project in the country's history it has the potential to double GDP in the near-term and triple Papua New Guinea's export revenue. An American-owned firm also opened PNG's first oil refinery in 2004 and is building a second LNG production facility. The government faces the challenge of ensuring transparency and accountability for revenues flowing from this and other large LNG projects. In 2011 and 2012 the National Parliament passed legislation that created an offshore Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) to manage government surpluses from mineral oil and natural gas projects. In recent years the government has opened up markets in telecommunications and air transport making both more affordable to the people. Numerous challenges still face the government of Peter O'NEILL including providing physical security for foreign investors regaining investor confidence restoring integrity to state institutions promoting economic efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions and maintaining good relations with Australia its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural challenges could upend the economy including chronic law and order and land tenure issues. The global financial crisis had little impact because of continued foreign demand for PNG's commodities.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 146

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 40

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 198

Gross national saving:
Rank: 155

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 58.6%
Government consumption: 10.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 14%
Investment in inventories: 0.5%
Exports of goods and services: 68.5%
Imports of goods and services: -52.2%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26.3%
Industry: 39%
Services: 34.8%

Agriculture products: coffee cocoa copra palm kernels tea sugar rubber sweet potatoes fruit vegetables vanilla; poultry pork; shellfish

Industries: copra crushing palm oil processing plywood production wood chip production; mining (gold silver copper); crude oil and petroleum products; construction tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (2014 est.)
Rank: 29

Labor force: 4.171 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 90
By occupation agriculture: 85%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 10

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 37% (2002 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.7%
Highest 10: 40.5%

Distribution of family income gini index: 50.9 (1996)
Rank: 17

Budget
Revenues: $4.464 billion
Expenditures: $5.592 billion
Surplus or deficit: -7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 191

Taxes and other revenues: 27.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 101

Public debt:
Rank: 119

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 173

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 11

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 84

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 96

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 112

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 116

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 74

Current account balance:
Rank: 49

Exports:
Rank: 104
Commodities: oil gold copper ore logs palm oil coffee cocoa crayfish prawns
Partners: Australia 23.6% Japan 15.6% China 9.1% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 140
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactured goods food fuels chemicals
Partners: Australia 26.5% Algeria 23.2% Singapore 11.4% China 8.7% Malaysia 5.9% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 104

Debt external:
Rank: 73

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 3.325 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 129
Consumption: 3.092 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 185
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 189
Installed generating capacity: 700,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 133
Generation sources fossil fuels: 61.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 132
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 165
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 30.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 75
Generation sources other renewable sources: 8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 40

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 28,090 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 66
Crude oil exports: 28,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 51
Crude oil imports: 14,880 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 73
Crude oil proven reserves: 185.9 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 61

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 17,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 96
Products consumption: 22,170 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 127
Products exports: 3,536 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 95
Products imports: 5,937 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 144

Natural gas
Production: 100 million m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 81
Consumption: 100 million m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 106
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 164
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 119
Proven reserves: 155.3 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 48

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.385 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 139

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 150,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2
Fixed lines rank: 137
Mobile cellular total: 3.4 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 51
Mobile cellular rank: 132

Telephone system
General assessment: services are minimal; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph coastal radio aeronautical radio and international radio communication services
Domestic: access to telephone services is not widely available although combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has increased to roughly 40 per 100 persons
International: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat ; international radio communication service (2009)

Broadcast media: 2 TV stations 1 commercial station operating since the late 1980s and 1 state-run station launched in 2008; satellite and cable TV services are available; state-run National Broadcasting Corporation operates 3 radio networks with multiple repeaters and about 20 provincial stations; several commercial radio stations with multiple transmission points as well as several community stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible (2009)

Internet
Country code: .pg
Users total: 164,500
Users percent of population: 2.5%
Users rank: 162

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 127

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; graduation from grade 12 required (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 561 (2013)
Rank: 12
With paved runways total: 21
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 540
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 53
With unpaved runways: 476 (2013)

Heliports: 2 (2013)

Pipelines: oil 264 km (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 9,349 km
Paved: 3,000 km
Unpaved: 6,349 km
Rank: 138

Waterways: 11,000 km (2011)
Rank: 11

Merchant marine
Total: 31
By type: bulk carrier 7 cargo 22 petroleum tanker 2
Foreign owned: 8 (2010)
Rank: 83

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Kimbe Lae Madang Rabaul Wewak
LNG terminal: Port Moresby


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Disputes international: relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia including goods smuggling illegal narcotics trafficking and squatters and secessionists

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 9,368 (Indonesia) (2014)
IDPs: 22,500 (2015)

Illicit drugs: major consumer of cannabis