Papua New Guinea

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.

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

• active volcanism;
• situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire";
• the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes;
• mud slides;
• tsunamis

• rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber;
• pollution from mining projects;
• severe drought

party to:

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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

0-14 years:

38.6% (male 1,013,936; female 980,841)

15-64 years:

57.7% (male 1,544,650; female 1,440,628)

65 years and over:

3.7% (male 90,661; female 101,317) (2002 est.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.9 male(s)/female

total population:

1.05 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Papua New Guinean(s)

adjective:

Papua New Guinean

conventional long form:

Independent State of Papua New Guinea

conventional short form:

Papua New Guinea

abbreviation:

PNG

former:

Territory of Papua and New Guinea

chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Silas ATOPARE (since 13 November 1997)

head of government:

Prime Minister Sir Michael SOMARE (since NA August 2002); Deputy Prime Minister Allan MARAT (since NA August 2002)

cabinet:

National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister

elections:

• none;
• the monarch is hereditary;
• governor general appointed by the National Executive Council;
• following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually is appointed prime minister by the governor general

• Melanesian Alliance Party or MAP [leader NA];
• National Alliance or NA [George MANDA, party president];
• National Front Party [leader NA];
• National Party or NP [Michael MEL];
• Papua New Guinea Revival Party [John PUNDARI];
• Papua New Guinea United Party or Pangu Pati [Chris HAIVETA];
• People's Action Party or PAP [Ted DIRO];
• People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Sir Mekere MORAUTA];
• People's Labor Party or PLP [Peter YAMA];
• People's National Congress or PNC [Bill SKATE];
• People's Progress Party or PPP [Michael NALI];
• People's Unity Party or PUP [Alfred KAIABE];
• United Party or UP [Rimbiuk PATO]

note: more than 40 political parties have registered to participate in the June 2002 elections

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nagora Y. BOGAN

chancery:

1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036

FAX:

[1] (202) 745-3679

telephone:

[1] (202) 745-3680

chief of mission:

Ambassador Susan S. JACOBS

embassy:

Douglas Street (adjacent to the Bank of Papua New Guinea), Port Moresby

mailing address:

P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, HCD121

telephone:

[675] 321-1455

FAX:

[675] 321-1593

• 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

lowest 10%:

2%

highest 10%:

41% (1996) (1996)

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

general assessment:

• services are adequate and being improved;
• facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services

domestic:

mostly radiotelephone

international:

• submarine cables to Australia and Guam;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
• international radio communication service

total:

19,600 km

paved:

686 km

unpaved:

18,914 km (1996)

total:

22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 40,911 GRT/58,723 DWT

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Singapore 2, United Kingdom 7 (2002 est.)

ships by type:

bulk 1, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3