s age 15-49: 719,467 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 493,819 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $78 million (1995); note - for
police and security forces

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: major cocaine transshipment point and major drug
money-laundering center; minor producer of coca leaf; active
eradication program
______________________________________________________________________

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

@Papua New Guinea: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
continental shelf : 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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 : 0.1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 92.9%
other : 6% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of
Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe
earthquakes; mud slides

Environment - current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as
a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution
from mining projects

Environment - international agreements:
party to : Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: shares island of New Guinea