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.
Geography
Papua New Guinea
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 references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 462,840 sq km
land: 452,860 sq km water: 9,980 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 820 km
border countries: Indonesia 820 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 highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m
total: 0.1 cu km/yr
(56%/43%/1%) per capita: 17 cu m/yr (1987)
Natural hazards:
active volcanism; situated
along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'; the country is subject to frequent and
sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis
Environment - current issues:
rain forest subject to
deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical
timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought
Environment - 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 signed,
but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
shares island of New Guinea
with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast
total: 21.5 years
male: 21.6 years female: 21.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.118% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
28.14 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.96 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86
male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 46.67
deaths/1,000 live births male: 50.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66
years male: 63.76 years female: 68.35 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.71 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
60,000 (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
600 (2003 est.)
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 (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Papua New
Guinean(s) adjective: Papua New Guinean
Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran
16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%,
Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%,
indigenous beliefs 34%
Languages:
Melanesian Pidgin serves as the
lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region
note: 820 indigenous languages spoken (over one-tenth of the
world's total)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 57.3%
male: 63.4% female: 50.9% (2000 census)
Government
Papua New Guinea
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
Capital:
name: Port Moresby
geographic coordinates: 9 30 S, 147 10 E time
difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
20 provinces; Bougainville,
Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga,
Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland,
Northern, 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;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by governor general Sir
Paulius MATANE (since 29 June 2004) head of government: Prime
Minister Sir Michael SOMARE (since 2 August 2002); Deputy Prime Minister
Puka TEMU (since 29 August 2007) cabinet: National Executive
Council appointed by governor general on recommendation of prime minister
elections: monarch is hereditary; governor general nominated by
parliament and appointed by chief of state; following legislative
elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition
usually is appointed prime minister by governor general
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament
(109 seats, 89 filled from open electorates and 20 from provinces and
national capital distict; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms); constitution allows up to 126 seats
elections: last held from 30 June to 10 July 2007; next to be
held in June 2012 election results: percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - National Alliance 27, PNGP 8, PAP 6, URP 6, PANGU 5,
PDM 5, independents 19, others 33; note - election to 1 seat was nullified
note: 15 other parties won 4 or fewer seats; association with
political parties is fluid
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the chief
justice is appointed by the governor general on the proposal of the
National Executive Council after consultation with the minister
responsible for justice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and
Legal Services Commission)
Political parties and leaders:
National Alliance Party or NA
[Michael SOMARE]; Papua and Niugini Union Party or PANGU PATI [Andrew
KUMBAKOR]; Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP [Sir Mekere MORAUTA]; People's
Democratic Movement or PDM [Michael OGIO]; People's Action Party or PAP
[Gabriel KAPRIS]; United Resources Party or URP [William DUMA] (2007)
chief of mission:
Ambassador Evan Jeremy PAKI chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202)
745-3680 FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Leslie W. Rowe embassy: Douglas Street, Port
Moresby, N.C.D. mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby PI, US
Department of State, Washington DC 20521-4240 telephone: [675]
321-1455 FAX: [675] 321-3423
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
Economy
Papua New Guinea
Economy - overview:
Papua New Guinea is richly
endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by
rugged terrain and the high cost of developing infrastructure. Agriculture
provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral
deposits, including copper, gold, and oil, account for nearly two-thirds
of export earnings. The government of Prime Minister SOMARE has expended
much of its energy remaining in power. He was the first prime minister
ever to serve a full five-year term. The government also brought stability
to the national budget, largely through expenditure control; however, it
relaxed spending constraints in 2006 and 2007 as elections approached.
Numerous challenges still face the government including regaining investor
confidence, restoring integrity to state institutions, promoting economic
efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions, and balancing
relations with Australia, its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural
challenges could upend the economy including a worsening HIV/AIDS epidemic
and chronic law and order and land tenure issues. Australia will supply
more than $300 million in aid in FY07/08, which accounts for nearly 20% of
the national budget.
machinery and transport
equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Australia 52%, Singapore 12.6%,
China 5.9%, Japan 4.3% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$266.1 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.664 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.814 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$4.863 billion (2005)
Currency (code):
kina (PGK)
Currency code:
PGK
Exchange rates:
kina per US dollar - 3.03
(2007), 3.0643 (2006), 3.08 (2005), 3.2225 (2004), 3.5635 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Papua New Guinea
Telephones - main lines in use:
63,700 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
75,000 (2005)
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; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is less
than 3 per 100 persons international: country code - 675;
submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio communication service
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 28
(1998)
Radios:
410,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (all in the Port Moresby
area; stations at Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Rabaul are planned) (2004)
Televisions:
59,841 (1999)
Internet country code:
.pg
Internet hosts:
2,436 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
110,000 (2006)
Transportation
Papua New Guinea
Airports:
578 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 21 2,438
to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523
m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 557 1,524
to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 58 under 914 m:
489 (2007)
Heliports:
2 (2007)
Pipelines:
oil 264 km (2007)
Roadways:
total: 19,600 km
paved: 686 km unpaved: 18,914 km (1999)
Papua New Guinea Defense Force
(PNGDF; includes Maritime Operations Element, Air Operations Element)
(2008)
Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary
military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,481,417 females age 16-49: 1,385,040 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
1,080,466 females age 16-49: 1,092,040 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Papua New Guinea
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 (country of
origin): 10,177 (Indonesia) (2007)
