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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 504 usable: 457 with permanent-surface runways: 18 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 39

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 20,523 GRT/24,774 DWT; includes 2 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 combination ore/oil, 2 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; more than 70,000 telephones (1987); 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 - $55 million, 1.8% of GDP (1993 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,046,929; fit for military service 582,685 (1993 est.)

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

kina (K) per US$1 - 1.0065 (January 1993), 1.0367 (1992), 1.0504 (1991), 1.0467 (1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: gold, copper ore, 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

Imports [time series]

$1.6 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 NA%; accounts for 21% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.5% (1992-93)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.4 billion (1992)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$850 (1992)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

8.5% (1992)

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 1991-92 was led by the mining sector; the opening of a large new gold mine helped the advance.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 461,690 km2 land area: 451,710 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than California

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

5,152 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

total 820 km, Indonesia 820 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 71% other: 28%

Location [time series]

Southeast Asia, just north of Australia, between Indonesia and the Solomon Islands

Map references [time series]

Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing 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

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

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR chancery: 3rd floor, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: (202) 745-3680

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 (association with political parties is fluid)

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)

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, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea conventional short form: Papua New Guinea

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

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

Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Jack GENIA; 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]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert W. FARRAND embassy: Armit Street, Port Moresby mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, or APO AE 96553 telephone: [675] 211-455 or 594, 654 FAX: [675] 213-423

People

Birth rate [time series]

33.77 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

10.57 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Infant mortality rate [time series]

64.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 56.02 years male: 55.19 years female: 56.88 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 52% male: 65% female: 38%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Papua New Guinean(s) adjective: Papua New Guinean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

4,100,714 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.32% (1993 est.)

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]

4.75 children born/woman (1993 est.)