t.)

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

Currency: 1 kina (K) = 100 toea

Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1 - 2.7624 (November 1999), 2.520
(1999), 2.058 (1998), 1.434 (1997), 1.318 (1996), 1.276 (1995)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Papua New Guinea:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 44,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1995)

Telephone system: services are adequate and being improved; facilities
provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical
radio, and international radio communication services
domestic: mostly radiotelephone
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 (1997)

Televisions: 42,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (1999)

@Papua New Guinea:Transportation

Railways: 0 km

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

Waterways: 10,940 km

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

Merchant marine:
total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 36,417 GRT/52,432 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, combination
ore/oil 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll-on/roll-off 3 (1999
est.)

Airports: 492 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 473
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 58
under 914 m: 402 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)

@Papua New Guinea:Military

Military branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Ground,
Naval, and Air Forces, and Special Forces Unit)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,274,818 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 706,159 (2000 est.)

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

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

@Papua New Guinea:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

______________________________________________________________________

PARACEL ISLANDS

@Paracel Islands:Geography

Location: Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the
South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Viet