Asia and Oceania

Papua New Guinea
Last reviewed: 06 August 2009

Country information

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Map of Papua New Guinea

Area: 463,000 sq km (288,000 sq mi)
Population: 6 million
Capital city: Port Moresby (pop: 400,000 in the National Capital District)
People: Mainly Melanesian, but some Polynesian and Micronesian.
Language(s): There are over 820 different languages with English, Pidgin and Hiri Motu the most widely spoken.
Religion(s): PNG's constitution declares that PNG is a Christian country. About 27 % are Catholics, 19 % Evangelical Lutheran, 11.5 % belong to the United Church and the remaining Christians follow the Evangelical Alliance, Seventh-Day Adventist, Pentecostal, Baptist and Anglican churches. Declared Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus each number in the hundreds.
Currency: Kina
Major political parties: National Alliance (the party of Sir Michael Somare, the Prime Minister), Peoples National Congress (PNC), Papua New Guinea United Party (PANGU), People's Progress Party, Melanesian Alliance Party, People’s Action Party, National Party, New Generation Party, PNG Party.
Government: PNG is a Realm within the Commonwealth with a democratically elected government based on the Westminster model. Executive power lies with the Prime Minister and the National Executive Council (NEC) - the Cabinet.
Head of State: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second
Governor-General: Grand Chief Sir Paulias Matane GCL, GCMG, K St J
Prime Minister: Grand Chief Rt Hon Sir Michael Somare MP, GCL, GCMG, CH, CF, K St J
Foreign Minister: Hon Sam Abal MP
Membership of international groups/organisations: United Nations (UN), Commonwealth, International Monetary Fund, World Bank; Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), World Trade Organisation (WTO), Pacific Islands Forum, South Pacific Commission, and Melanesian Spearhead Group. ASEAN (Associate Member).

Health

Life expectancy in PNG is 57 years. The leading causes of death are malaria, pneumonia, peri-natal deaths, tuberculosis, meningitis, heart disease, cancer, accidents and violence. Health care remains basic and many of these deaths could be prevented with more medicinal care and advice. HIV/AIDS has become one of the leading causes of death in Port Moresby and elsewhere in the country. More than two percent of the population is believed to be infected and urgent steps are being taken to try to prevent the spread. But PNG is likely to become a major HIV/AIDS epicentre within ten years.