Guide to Papua New Guinea Introduction Background: 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 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
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 5,152 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea
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
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: NA sq km
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
Geography - note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast
People Population: 5,545,268 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 2.26% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 29.95 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 7.37 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 3.96 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 16,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 600 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Religions: 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
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Moresby
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament - sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open electorates and 20 from provincial electorates; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections
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: Christian Democratic Party [Dr. Banare BUN, party leader]; Melanesian Alliance Party or MAP [Sir Moi AVEL, party leader]; National Alliance Party or NA [Michael SOMARE, party leader; George MANOA, party president]; National Party [Melchior PEP, party leader]; Papua and Niugini Union Party or PANGU [Chris HAIVETA, party leader]; Papua New Guinea First Party [Cecilking DORUBA, party leader]; Papua New Guinea Labor Party [Bob DANAYA, party leader]; Papua New Guinea Party (was People's Democratic Movement or PDM) [Sir Mekere MORAUTA, party leader]; People's Action Party or PAP [Moses MALADINA, party leader]; People's Labor Party or PLP [Ekis ROPENU, party leader]; People's National Congress or PNC [Peter O'NEILL, party leader]; People's Progressive Party or PPP [Andrew BAING, party leader]; Pipol First Party [Luther WENGE, party leader]; Rural People's Party [Peter NAMUS, party leader]; United Party [Bire KIMASOPA, party leader]; United Resources Party or URP [Tim NEVILLE, party leader] (2004)
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACP, APEC, ARF, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
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 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 oil, copper, and gold, account for 72% of export earnings. The economy has improved over the past two years, following a prolonged period of instability. Former Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA had tried to restore integrity to state institutions, to stabilize the kina, restore stability to the national budget, to privatize public enterprises where appropriate, and to ensure ongoing peace on Bougainville. Australia annually supplies $240 million in aid, which accounts for 20% of the national budget. Challenges face Prime Minister Michael SOMARE, including gaining further investor confidence, continuing efforts to privatize government assets, maintaining the support of members of Parliament, and balancing relations with Australia, the former colonial ruler.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $11.99 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 3.32 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 85%, industry NA, services NA
Unemployment rate: NA
Population below poverty line: 37% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 50.9 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 13.6% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: 59.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork
Industries: copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production; construction, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: NA
Electricity - production: 1.679 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 1.561 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 46,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 15,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 170 million bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production: 110 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 110 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 385.5 billion cu m (2004)
Current account balance: $29.15 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $2.437 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns
Exports - partners: Australia 28%, Japan 5.8%, Germany 4.7%, China 4.6% (2004)
Imports: $1.353 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners: Australia 46.4%, Singapore 21.6%, Japan 4.3%, New Zealand 4.2% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $635.8 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $2.463 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $400 million (1999 est.)
Currency (code): kina (PGK)
Currency code: PGK
Exchange rates: kina per US dollar - 3.2225 (2004), 3.5635 (2003), 3.8952 (2002), 3.3887 (2001), 2.7822 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 62,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 15,000 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 28 (1998)
Radios: 410,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (all in the Port Moresby area) note
Televisions: 59,841 (1999)
Internet country code: .pg
Internet hosts: 389 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)
Internet users: 75,000 (2002)
Transportation Highways: total
Waterways: 10,940 km (2003)
Pipelines: oil 264 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Kimbe, Lae, Rabaul
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 571 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Heliports: 2 (2004 est.)
Military Military branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Maritime Operations Element, Air Operations Element)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $16.9 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY02)
Transnational Issues 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
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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