adiotelephone international: 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
(2002)

Televisions: 59,841 (1999)

Internet country code: .pg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)

Internet users: 135,000 (2001)

Transportation Papua New Guinea

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 19,600 km paved: 686 km unpaved: 18,914 km (1996)

Waterways: 10,940 km

Ports and harbors: Kieta, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul

Merchant marine: total: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 40,911
GRT/58,723 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here
as a flag of
Singapore 2, United Kingdom 7 (2002 est.) ships by type: petroleum
tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3

Airports: 490 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 21 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to
2,437 m: 14 under 914 m: 1 (2001) 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 469 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914
to 1,523 m: 57 under 914 m: 402 (2001)

Heliports: 2 (2001)

Military Papua New Guinea

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

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,338,003 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 740,085
(2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $42 million (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (FY98)

Transnational Issues Papua New Guinea

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Palau

Introduction

Palau

Background: After three decades as part of the UN Trust Territory of
the Pacific under US administration, this westernmost cluster of the
Caroline Islands opted for independence in 1978 rather than join the
Federated States of Micronesia. A Compact of Free Association with the
US was approved in 1986, but not ratified until 1993. It entered into
force the following year when the islands gained independence.

Geography Palau

Location: Oceania, group of islands in the North Pac