Papua New Guinea     [8]
(Independent since 1975 from Australia)
ISO COUNTRY CODE: PG
LAND AREA: 462243 sq. km     SEA AREA: 3120000 sq. km
NUMBER OF ISLANDS BY SIZE (sq. km):

>17,000	>10,000	>1,000	>100	>10	>1	<1	Unknown	TOTAL
2	0	6	14	0	1	2	126	151

DEMOGRAPHY
  POPULATION: 4400000 (1996)
  DENSITY: 10 persons/sq. km    GROWTH RATE: 3%/year
  POP AGR/FISH/MINING: 79%
  URBAN POP: 16% (1994), versus 3% (1960), Annual Growth: 4.0%
  LIFE EXPECTANCY: 56.4 years,  ADULT LITERACY: 71.2%
  INFANT MORTALITY: 68 per/1000 (1994), versus 165 (1960)
  HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 0.525

ECONOMY
  GNP: US$6.9 billion, Annual GNP Growth Rate 1980-1993: 2.5%
  GDP/Capita: $1124  GDP/Capita PPP: $2821
  GDP/Capita: 1960 $570, 1970 $877, 1980 $881, 1990 $802
  OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE: $372 million  ODA%GNP: 7.4%
  ODA/Capita: $88

ENVIRONMENT (see also individual islands)
  TOTAL FOREST AREA: 36939,000 ha, 81.6% of land area, 8.6 ha/capita
  NATURAL FOREST AREA: 36909,000 ha
  ARABLE LAND: 0.1% of land area
NATURE CONSERVATION INTEREST:

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
  ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION: 426 kw-hr/capita, versus 77 kw-hr/cap (1970)
  TRADITIONAL FUEL CONSUMPTION: 64% (1993), versus 70% (1973)
  INTERNAL RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES: 186.2,000 cu.m/cap/year
  SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION (1990-92): 22 kg/cap/year

INSTITUTIONS
GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:

Office of Environment and Conservation, Ministry of Environment.        

Melanesian Environment Foundation