gold:
$635.8 million (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$2.463 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$400 million (1999 est.)

Currency (code):
kina (PGK)

Currency code:
PGK

Exchange rates:
kina per US dollar - 3.2225 (2004), 3.5635 (2003), 3.8952 (2002),
3.3887 (2001), 2.7822 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Papua New Guinea

Telephones - main lines in use:
62,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
15,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: services are adequate; facilities provide
radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and
international radio communication services
domestic: mostly radiotelephone
international: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and
Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);
international radio communication service

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 28 (1998)

Radios:
410,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (all in the Port Moresby area)
note: additional stations at Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Rabaul are
planned (2004)

Televisions:
59,841 (1999)

Internet country code:
.pg

Internet hosts:
389 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
75,000 (2002)

Transportation Papua New Guinea

Highways:
total: 19,600 km
paved: 686 km
unpaved: 18,914 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
10,940 km (2003)

Pipelines:
oil 264 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Kimbe, Lae, Rabaul

Merchant marine:
total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 47,586 GRT/60,934 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 17, chemical tanker 1, petroleum
tanker 2
foreign-owned: 8 (Singapore 2, United Kingdom 6) (2005)

Airports:
571 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 550
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 62
under 914 m: 478 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
2 (2004 est.)

Military Papua New Guinea

Military branches:
Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Maritime Operations
Element, Air Operations Element)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,264,728 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military s