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[Geography] [Land Use]
[Environment] [People]
[Government]
[History] [Economy]
[Transport] [Defense]
[Update]
GEOGRAPHY
Location: Southeastern Asia, 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.
Land area: 451,710 sq km.
Land boundaries: (Indonesia): total: 820 km.
Coastline: 5,152 km .
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation.
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm.
Territorial sea: 12 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, Highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m.
General: Papua New Guinea consists of over 600 islands and lies in the middle of the long chain of islands stretching from mainland South-East Asia. It lies in the South Pacific, 160km (100 miles) north of Australia. The country occupies the eastern half of the second-largest non-continental island in the world, as well as the smaller islands of the Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville and Admiralty Island), the D'Entrecasteaux Island group and the three islands of the Louisiade Archipelago. The main island shares a land border with Irian Jaya, a province of Indonesia. The mainland and larger islands are mountainous and rugged, divided by large fertile upland valleys.
LAND USE
Arable land: 0%.
Permanent crops: 1%.
Meadows and pastures: 0%.
Forest and woodland: 71%.
Other: 28%.
ENVIRONMENT
Current issues: Rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects.
Natural hazards: Active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides.
General: Papua New Guinea offers the greatest variety of terrestrial ecosystems in the South Pacific, including five types of lowland rain forest, 13 types of montane rain forest, five varieties of palm and swamp forest and three different mangrove forests. Two-thirds of the entire world's species of orchids come from Papua New Guinea. Birds include 38 species of the bird-of-paradise, and the megapode and cassowary. Marsupials and mammals include cuscus, tree kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, spiny ant-eaters and, in the coastal waters, the dugong. There are between 170 and 200 species of frog and 450 species of butterfly.
PEOPLE
Population: 4,394,537 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (male 906,709; female 860,534) 15-64 years: 57% (male 1,303,084; female 1,195,245) 65 years and over: 3% (male 59,513; female 69,452) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.3% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 10.6 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 (s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female All ages: 1.07 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 82 deaths per 1000
Life expectancy at birth: Total population: 57.25 years Male: 56.4 years Female: 58.15 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Religions: 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%
Languages: English spoken by 1%-2%, Pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region Note: 715 indigenous languages
Literacy: Age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 72.2% Male: 81% Female: 62.7%
GOVERNMENT
Type of government: Parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Moresby
Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Simbu, 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
Independence: 16 September 1975
Legal system: Based on English common law
Suffrage: 19 years of age; universal
HISTORY
Papua New Guinea was formed in 1949 from two Australian territories: Papua, which had been under Australian rule since 1906, and New Guinea, a former German colony occupied in 1914 and since administered by the Australians under a United Nations mandate. Parts of both territories were occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War.
Full independence was granted in 1975, with Michael Somare, previously Chief Minister, assuming the post of Prime Minister. Somare remained in power until 1980, when Sir Julius Chan's People's Progress Party (PPP) came out of opposition to form a government. The June 1982 general election returned Somare's Pangu Pati at the head of another coalition. Elections in June-July 1987 produced no overall majority for any party. Rabbie Namaliu, who displaced Somare as Pangu Pati leader in early 1988, took over as Prime Minister at the head of a 6-party coalition. In a photo-finish election in July 1992, Namaliu lost the premiership to Paias Wingti, leader of the People's Democratic Movement (composed of PPP and Pangu Pati dissidents) on the casting vote of the speaker. Wingti remained in office until September 1993, at which point he resigned to be replaced by Deputy Premier Chan.
Papua New Guinea is blessed with abundant natural resources, particularly mineral deposits, but lacks the indigenous skills to exploit them. The country has therefore been obliged to rely on foreign mining interests for development and the Government has faced a balancing act in accommodating the mining companies, ensuring that the benefits of their activities accrue to the Papuan people, while protecting the rich natural environment.
The Government's strategy has fallen apart spectacularly due to the situation on the island of Bougainville, site of one of the world's largest copper mines and source of one-third of Papua's export income. In 1989 local landowners raised complaints about the pollution caused by the mine and the lack of financial benefit to the local economy. Violence broke out between the two sides and forced the closure of the mine in May 1989. The Government sent in troops who were confronted by a secessionist insurrection in the form of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA). In May 1990 Bougainville declared independence; no-one recognized it apart from the Solomon Islands (who have close links with Bougainville). A settlement in January 1991 broke down two months later. The next major development occurred in mid-1993 when army units wrested control of a key strategic location from the BRA rebels, after which the Government felt that a negotiated solution might be reached. Under an accord reached in September 1994, a transitional government for Bougainville was established with representatives from central government and the BRA. The BRA representatives boycotted the new administration, however, and fighting has since continued intermittently.
Despite their disagreement over Bougainville, Papua and the Solomons have good official relations: together with Vanuatu, they have formed the Melanesian Spearhead Group, dedicated to preserving Melanesian cultural tradition and securing independence for New Caledonia. Links with ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries have been strengthened by the signing of a friendship and co-operation treaty with Papua New Guinea.
ECONOMY
Economic overview: 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 the bulk 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. In 1995, Port Moresby reached agreement with the IMF and World Bank on a structural adjustment program. PNG will receive loans totaling $350 million over the next two years from a variety of lenders including the Fund, the Bank, the Australian Government, and the Japanese Export-Import Bank. The loans will be provided only if Port Moresby implements significant reforms to liberalize trade and investment policies, reduce the public sector, and promote sustainable development of the forestry sector. At the start of 1996, Port Moresby is looking primarily to the exploitation of mineral and petroleum resources to drive economic development but new prospecting in Papua New Guinea has slumped as other mineral-rich countries have stepped up their competition for international investment. Output from current projects will probably begin to taper off in 1996, but no new large ventures are being developed to succeed them.
GDP: Purchasing power parity - $10.2 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: -3% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $2,400 (1995 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1995)
Labor force: 1.941 million
Industries: Copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; construction, tourism
Electricity: Capacity: 490,000 kW
Production: 1.8 billion kwh
Consumption per capita: 390 kwh (1993)
Agriculture: Coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables; poultry, pork
Commodities: Gold, copper ore, oil, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa,
Currency: 1 Kina (K) = 100 toea
Exchange rates: Kina (K) per US$1 - 0.4200 (May 1999), note - the government floated the Kina on 10 October 1994
TRANSPORTATION
Highways: total: 19,088 km paved: 640 km
Ports: Kieta, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
Airports: total: 451
Communications
Telephones: 63,212 (1986 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 31, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: 298,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 10,000 (1992 est.)
DEFENSE
Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Operations Unit)
Manpower availability: Males age 15-49: 1,143,015 males fit for military service: 635,923 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: Exchange rate conversion - $40 million, 0.9% of GDP (1995)
UPDATES
The follow information is taken from the UNICEF "the state of the world's children 1998 summary" report and World Health Organizations Basic Health Indicators.
% of pregnant women attended by trained personnel during pregnancy: 72%
% of deliveries attended by trained personnel: 49%
% of infants atttended by trained personnel: 30%
% of women of childrearing age using family planning: 2.8%
% of population with access to local health care - total: 95%
% of population with access to local health care - urban: 100%
% of population with access to local health care - rural: 96.0%
Maternal mortality rate (per 100 0000 live births): 930
Infants with low birth weight: 23%
Infant mortality rate, under 1 (1996): 79
Under-5 mortality rate (1996): 112
Annual number of births (1996): 144,000
Access to safe water: 28% (urban - 84% rural - 17%)
Access to adequate sanitation: 22% (urban - 82% rural - 11%)
GNP per capita - US$ (1995): $1,160
GNP per capita average growth rate - US$ (1985-95): 3.3%
Annual rate of inflation 1985-95): 5%
Life expectancy at birth: 57 years
Primary school enrollment (1995): male - 88% female - 75%
Primary school children reaching grade 5 (1990-5): 58%
Secondary school enrollment (1990-5): male - 17% female - 11%
Total adult literacy (1995): 72% (male - 81% female - 53%)
Central government allocation to education (1990-96): 15%
Central government allocation to health (1990-96): 18%
Central government allocation to defense (1990-96): 4%
Amount of international aid received for heath (million US$): 102 000