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Communications

Airports [time series]

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

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]

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

Ports [time series]

Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

none

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); broadcast stations - 31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Papua New Guinea Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 1,013,812; 564,081 fit for military service

Economy

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2.2 billion (April 1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

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

Imports [time series]

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

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

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

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

6.8% (first half 1991)

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 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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

5% (1988)

Geography

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

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

none

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

451,710 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

820 km; Indonesia 820 km

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

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

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

461,690 km2

Government

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

Constitution [time series]

16 September 1975

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

Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 745-3680 US: Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96553); telephone [675] 211-455 or 594, 654; FAX [675] 213-423

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

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 [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

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Wiwa KOROWI (since NA November 1991) Head of Government: Prime Minister Paias WINGTI (since 17 July 1992)

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, 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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie NAMALIU; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Paias WINGTI; People's Action Party (PAP), Akoka DOI; People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius CHAN; United Party (UP), Paul TORATO; Papua Party (PP), Galeva KWARARA; National Party (NP), Paul PORA; Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John MOMIS

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

People

Birth rate [time series]

34 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

67 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

55 years male, 56 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

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

Population [time series]

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

Religions [time series]

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%

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.9 children born/woman (1992)