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Location:
Papua New Guinea is part of the southwest Pacific group
of islands. It covers the eastern half of the island of
New Guinea located between the Coral Sea and the South
Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia It shares the island
of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps
along southwest coast |
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Area:
total: 462,840 sq km; land: 452,860 sq km;
and water: 9,980 sq km with land boundaries
totaling:
820 km with Indonesia. It has a coastline of 5,152 km
in length.
Capital: Port Moresby |
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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
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Climate:
tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast
monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature
variation
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Terrain:
mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
with lowest point at the Pacific Ocean Coast at 0 m and
the highest point in Mount Wilhelm at 4,509 m |
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Population:
4,926,984 (July 2000 est.) |
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Ethnic
groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian,
Polynesian |
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Religions:
Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian/Methodist/London
Missionary Society, Anglican, Evangelical Alliance, Seventh-Day
Adventist, other Protestant, indigenous beliefs. |
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Languages
English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu
spoken in Papua region; 715 indigenous languages |
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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. |
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Currency:
1 kina (K) = 100 toea (K) per US$1 - 3.3602 (2001)) |
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Independence
and National Holiday: 16 September 1975 (from the
Australian-administered UN trusteeship) |
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Government
type: parliamentary democracy |
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Executive
branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Silas ATOPARE (since 13 November 1997); head of government:
Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA (since NA August 1999);
Deputy Prime Minister Mao ZEMING (since NA December 1999);
cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by
the governor general on the recommendation of the prime
minister; the monarch is hereditary;
governor general appointed by the National Executive Council;
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by
the governor general for up to five years on the basis
of majority support in National Parliament. |
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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);
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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. |
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International
organization participation: ACP, APEC, AsDB, ASEAN
(observer), CCOP, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WtrO |
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Natural
resources: gold, copper, silver, oil, natural gas,
timber, fisheries |
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Land
use: arable land: 0.1%; permanent crops:
1%; permanent pastures: 0%; forests and woodland:
92.9%; and other: 6% (1993 est.) |
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Natural
hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific
"Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent
and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis
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Environment
- current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation
as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical
timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought
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Environment
- international agreements: party to: Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Climate Change - Kyoto Protocol |
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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 infrastructure. Agriculture
provides a subsistence livelihood for the bulk of the
population. Mineral deposits, including oil, copper, and
gold, account for 72% 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, of which the first phase was successfully
completed in 1996. In 1997, droughts caused by the El
Nino weather pattern wreaked havoc on Papua New Guinea's
coffee, cocoa, and coconut production, the mainstays of
the agricultural-based economy and major sources of export
earnings. The coffee crop was slashed by up to 50% in
1997. Despite problems with drought, the year 1998 saw
a small recovery in GDP. Growth increased to 3.6% in 1999
and may be even higher in 2000, say 4.3%. |
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Industries:
copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production,
wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper;
crude oil production; construction, tourism |
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Electricity
- production: 1.74 billion kWh (1998) |
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Electricity
- production by source: fossil fuel: 69.54%;
hydro: 30.46% (1998) |
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Electricity
- consumption: 1.618 billion kWh (1998) |
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Agriculture
- products: coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels,
tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables; poultry,
pork |
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Exports:
$1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
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Exports
- commodities: oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil,
coffee, cocoa, crayfish and prawns |
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Imports:
$1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) |
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Imports
- commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals |
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