Official Name: Officially known as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea but commonly referred to as Papua New Guinea or simply, PNG.
Capital: The capital of Papua New Guinea is Port Moresby, the country’s largest city. Port Moresby boasts an approximate population of 255,000 people and is home to the country’s government infrastructure.
Location: Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the Island of New Guinea. New Guinea island is located in the Southeastern Pacific ocean to the North of Australia. Papua New Guinea borders the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua on the western half of the island.
Size: Papua New Guinea occupies a total area of 462,840 square kilometers making it the 54th largest country in the world. In comparative terms this means that PNG is slightly larger than the American state of California.
Climate: The climate of Papua New Guinea is tropical. The country experiences the wet season from November to May each year, during which time there is an intensified risk of flooding and tropical storms.
Population: There is an estimated population in Papua New Guinea of 5,940,775. This means that Papua New Guinea is the 106th most populated country in the world; in this regard Papua New Guinea ranks slightly behind Togo, but ahead of Nicaragua.
Life expectancy at birth: The average life expectancy is 65.75 years from birth in Papua New Guinea, ranking the country 164th globally. Men live shorter lives than females at 63.56 years and 68.08 years respectively.
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: There is a prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea. Approximately 1.5% of the population lives with the disease. This is equal to about 54,000 people.
Major Illnesses: There are a number of serious disease risks throughout Papua New Guinea. Bacterial Diarrhea, Hepatitis A, Typhoid fever, Cholera, Dengue Fever, and Malaria all pose serious concerns. Travelers should ensure that all vaccinations and inoculations are up to date.
Ethnic Groups: The populace of Papua New Guinea is comprised mainly of 4 different ethnic groups. These are: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian.
Languages: Papua New Guinea boasts one of the most diverse array of languages on the planet, with 850 being spoken around the country. This represents more than 1/10th of the worlds total known languages. Official languages in the country include English, Hiri Motu, and Tok Pisin. Of these three, Tok Pisin is a creole language and is the most widely used and understood. English is only spoken by 1 – 2% of the population, while Hiri Motu is spoken by less than 2%.
Religion: Papua New Guinea is a majority Christian county. The biggest portion of the population, at 27%, is Roman Catholic, however other Christian denominations are represented across the nation. 19.5% of the populace identify as Evangelical Lutheran, 11.5% as members of the United Church, 10% as Seventh Day Adventists, 8.6% as Pentecostal, 5.2% are with the Evangelical Alliance, 3.2% as Anglican, 2.5% as Baptist, and a further 8.9% as miscellaneous protestant sects. The Bahai faith is practiced by 0.3% of the population, while indigenous and tribal beliefs are practiced by only 3.3%.
Government: Papua New Guinea is a constitutional parliamentary democracy, formed after the British and Australian models. Although the country gained independence in 1975 it technically still remains a realm of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Papua New Guinea. The country is a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor General Sir Paulias Matane. Queen Elizabeth has no functional power within the Papua New Guinean government. The monarchy is hereditary while the Governor General is nominated by the parliament and only confirmed by the monarch.
Head of Government: The head of the country’s government is Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. The head of the government is the leader of the party with the most seats in parliament following an election. The head of government is appointed by the Governor General in accordance with the wishes of parliament and the outcome of an election.
Military: The Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF) includes a land based element, maritime element, and air force element. At age 16 Papua New Guineans are able to volunteer for military service, there is no conscription in the country. Total military expenditure equals 1.5% of GDP, placing Papua New Guinea at 118th in the world for top military spending.
Economy: Agriculture is the main industry of Papua New Guinea, providing a subsistence based livelihood for approximately 75% of the population. Very little land in Papua New Guinea is owned by private interests, there are virtually no freehold titles in the country. Land is held under a 99 year lease, or by the state; in cases where a freehold parcel of land is sold they are automatically transferred to a state lease upon sale.
Although Papua New Guinea has a wealth of natural resources, accessing these resources has proven a challenge due to the rugged terrain and vast jungles of the country. Those mineral deposits which have been accessed, including copper, gold, and oil, account for two thirds of the nations export earnings. As a consequence of these large deposits of natural resources a number of foreign interests are actively investing in Papua New Guinea, and this interest has seen an explosion in the mining industry of the nation as more expatriates and foreign corporations move to PNG for increased economic opportunities.
GDP: Papua New Guinea has a Purchasing Power Parity of US$14.02 billion, making it the 136th wealthiest country in the world. The country has a per capita GDP of US$2,400.
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