PAPUA NEW GUINEA GEOGRAPHY Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than California Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia Coastline: 5,152 km Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines); Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation; Exclusive economic 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 Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 71%; other 28% Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia PEOPLE Population: 3,913,186 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991) Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male, 56 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Papua New Guinean(s); adjective--Papua New Guinean Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian Religion: 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% Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region Literacy: 52% (male 65%, female 38%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; agriculture 54%, government 25%, industry and commerce 9%, services 8% (1980) Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea Type: parliamentary democracy Capital: Port Moresby Administrative divisions: 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 Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration) Constitution: 16 September 1975 Legal system: based on English common law National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975) Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly) Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: 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 Ted DIRO (since 29 April 1990); note--Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO has the title only since he has been suspended pending trial for alleged corruption charges Political parties: Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie NAMALIU; 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: universal at age 18 Elections: 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%, other 11.6%; seats--(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, other 14 Communists: no significant strength Member of: 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 Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 659-0856; US--Ambassador Robert W. FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone 675 211-455 or 594, 654 Flag: 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 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 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 help sustain the economy. GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $725; real growth rate - 3.0% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1989) Unemployment rate: 5% (1988) Budget: revenues $867 million; expenditures $873 million, including capital expenditures of $119 million (1990 est.) Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--gold, copper ore, coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster; partners--FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--machinery and transport equipment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer goods; partners--Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK External debt: $2.76 billion (December 1990) Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 25% of GDP Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1990) Industries: copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip production, gold, silver, copper, construction, tourism Agriculture: 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 Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million Currency: kina (plural--kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1--1.0549 (January 1991), 1.0467 (1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth Inland waterways: 10,940 km Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,711 GRT/34,682 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk Civil air: about 15 major transport aircraft Airports: 567 total, 479 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: 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 DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force) Manpower availability: males 15-49, 983,175; 546,824 fit for military service Defense expenditures: $42 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)