to depth of exploitation;

Extended economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 3 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

Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber,
oil potential

Land use: NEGL% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and
pastures; 71% forest and woodland; 28% other

Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast;
some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes

Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia

- People
Population: 3,822,875 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)

Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 56 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Papua New Guinean(s); adjective--Papua New Guinean

Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito,
Micronesian, and Polynesian

Religion: over half of population nominally Christian (490,000
Roman Catholic, 320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects); remainder indigenous
beliefs

Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin
English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region

Literacy: 32%

Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; 54% agriculture,
25% government, 9% industry and commerce, 8% services (1980)

Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20
members

- Government
Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea

Type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Moresby

Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu,
Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus,
Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons,
Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain

Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian
administration)

Constitution: 16 September 1975

Legal system: based on English common law

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister,
deputy prime minister, Nati