NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Independent State of 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:
|
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 |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
6 00 S, 147 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Oceania |
|
Area:
|
total: 462,840 sq km
land: 452,860 sq km water: 9,980 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly larger than California |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 820 km
border countries: Indonesia 820 km |
|
Coastline:
|
5,152 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 0.13%
permanent crops: 1.35% other: 98.52% (1998 est.) |
|
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: 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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
5,172,033 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
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.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
2.39% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
31.61 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
7.75 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
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.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
56.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 63.83 years
female: 66.03 years (2002 est.) male: 61.73 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
4.21 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.22% (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
5,400 (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
450 (1999 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
adjective: Papua New Guinean |
|
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:
|
English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
note: 715 indigenous languages |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 64.5% male: 72% female: 57% (2000) |