OFFICIAL NAME: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
CAPITAL CITY: Port Moresby
POPULATION: 5,900,000 (Source: COUNTRYaah)
AREA: 462,840 km²
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (S): English, tok pisin (pidginsprog, off.), hiri motu (pidginsprog, off.), approximately 800 Papuan languages
RELIGION: Catholics 22%, Lutherans 16%, Other Christians 28%, Native American Religions 34%
COIN: China
CURRENCY CODE: PGK
ENGLISH NAME: Papua New Guinea
INDEPENDENCE: 1975
POPULATION COMPOSITION: Papuans 84%, Melanesians 15%, others 1%
GDP PER residents: 2619 $ (2003)
LIFE EXPECTANCY: men 55 years, women 56 years (2005)
INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, HDI: 0.523
INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, POSITION: 137
INTERNET DOMAIN NAME: .pg
Papua New Guinea, an independent state within the British Commonwealth, which forms the eastern half of New Guinea and nearby islands. The country holds great natural contrasts; high mountains, rushing rivers, tropical rainforests and vast swamps make large parts inaccessible. Many mountain villages can only be reached on foot, and much passenger transport takes place by plane. Mining is of great importance to the country, especially gold and copper. In several places, high-tech mining activities take place close to local communities, which have only recently made contact with the outside world. The divisive tendencies in the ethnically highly composed society are great, and since the administration is plagued by corruption and unemployment is extremely high in the cities, the society in these years is characterized by lawlessness and close to a social collapse.
- AbbreviationFinder.org: Find two-letter abbreviation for each independent country and territory, such as PG which stands for Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea – people
The population of Papua New Guinea is ethnically very divided. Almost all belong to Christian congregations. The national feeling is weak, and there are no dominant ethnic groups, but a certain regional common feeling, for example in the highlands, in Papua and on the larger islands. The island of Bougainville has been fighting for independence since 1989. The rural population lives mainly from horticulture and fishing and the cultivation of eg coffee, tea and coconut for export; trading conditions are poor, due to low export prices. The state is weakened by corruption and inability to maintain infrastructure, and public order is threatened by tribal and young offenders (raskols).
Papua New Guinea – Language
Of the over 800 native languages, most are Papuan and are spoken mainly in the highlands, while Austronesian languages are spoken in coastal areas. The largest of the Papuan languages is enga, spoken by approximately 165,000. In administration and commerce, English plays the dominant role along with tok pisin and hiri motu (see Creole languages), but the original languages are also recognized. The vast majority of the population is bilingual.
Papua New Guinea – Constitution
The country’s constitution dates from 1975. As a member of the British Commonwealth from the same year, Papua New Guinea has the British monarch as head of state, represented by a governor-general elected by the National Parliament on the proposal of the National Executive Council. by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is appointed and dismissed by the Head of State on the recommendation of the National Parliament.
Legislative power lies with a parliament with a chamber, the National Parliament, which has 109 members elected by universal suffrage for five years. The Executive Council is accountable to Parliament. The 19 provinces are led by members of the National Parliament and local council members.
Papua New Guinea – art
The rich traditional art includes figurines, masks, communal houses and body ornaments; of materials used wood, plant fibers, teeth, shells, feathers, etc. Characteristic is a rich curve and spiral ornamentation and unnaturalistically proportioned animal and human forms such as malanggan in New Ireland and similar cult objects from Sepik, Maprik, New Britain and Papua Bay. Today, ancestral worship, clan feuds and celebrations are gaining ground again in many places and leading to a flourishing of the associated art forms.
