Airports [time series]

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

Civil air [time series]

about 15 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

10,940 km

Merchant marine [time series]

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 [time series]

Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); stations--31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Papua New Guinea Defense Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

1.3% of GDP, or $42 million (1989 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 952,454; 529,570 fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $38.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $5.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

kina (plural--kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--gold, copper ore, coffee, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster; partners--FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2.5 billion (December 1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$3.26 billion, per capita $890; real growth rate 1.2% (1988 est.)

Imports [time series]

$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

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5% (1988 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

5% (1988)

Climate [time series]

tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Coastline [time series]

5,152 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than California

Continental shelf [time series]

200 meters or to depth of exploitation;

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries (Land boundary) [time series]

820 km with Indonesia

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

(measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);

Natural resources [time series]

gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential

Note [time series]

shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

3 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Port Moresby

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

no significant strength

Constitution [time series]

16 September 1975

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; 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 [675] 211-455 or 594, 654

Executive branch [time series]

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

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court 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)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

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

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Independent State of Papua New Guinea

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

Political parties [time series]

Pangu Party, People's Progress Party, United Party, Papua Besena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 National Parliament--last held 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4 July 1992); results--PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, others 11.6%; seats--(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, others 14

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Birth rate [time series]

34 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian

Infant mortality rate [time series]

68 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; 54% agriculture, 25% government, 9% industry and commerce, 8% services (1980)

Languages (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

54 years male, 56 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

32%

Nationality [time series]

noun--Papua New Guinean(s); adjective--Papua New Guinean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members

Population [time series]

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

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.0 children born/woman (1990)