Papua New Guinea (2001) | Hong Kong (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 20 provinces; Bougainville, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain | none (special administrative region of China) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
38.7% (male 993,248; female 960,647) 15-64 years: 57.63% (male 1,507,064; female 1,402,666) 65 years and over: 3.67% (male 87,779; female 97,651) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years:
17.73% (male 677,785; female 600,781) 15-64 years: 71.52% (male 2,554,329; female 2,602,662) 65 years and over: 10.75% (male 354,199; female 420,749) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables; poultry, pork | fresh vegetables; poultry |
Airports | 492 (2000 est.) | 3 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
20 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
472 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 57 under 914 m: 402 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
462,840 sq km land: 452,860 sq km water: 9,980 sq km |
total:
1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than California | six times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997, after claiming some 20,000 lives. | Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be practiced in Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. |
Birth rate | 32.15 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 11.13 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$1.6 billion expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues:
$20.8 billion expenditures: $24.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY99/00) |
Capital | Port Moresby | - |
Climate | tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation | tropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall |
Coastline | 5,152 km | 733 km |
Constitution | 16 September 1975 | Basic Law approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" |
Country name | conventional long form:
Independent State of Papua New Guinea conventional short form: Papua New Guinea former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea abbreviation: PNG |
conventional long form:
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu local short form: Xianggang abbreviation: HK |
Currency | kina (PGK) | Hong Kong dollar (HKD) |
Death rate | 7.88 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.9 billion (2000 est.) | $48.1 billion (1999) |
Dependency status | - | special administrative region of China |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Arma Jane KARAER embassy: Douglas Street, Port Moresby mailing address: P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby telephone: [675] 321-1455 FAX: [675] 321-3423 |
chief of mission:
Consul General Michael KLOSSON consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 464, Box 30, FPO AP 96522-0002 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2845-1598 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Susan JACOBS chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680 FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679 |
none (special administrative region of China) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $400 million (1999 est.) | - |
Economy - overview | Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral deposits, including oil, copper, and gold, account for 72% of export earnings. The 3.4% average annual growth rate of GDP during 1979-1998 conceals considerable year-to-year variation resulting from external economic shocks, natural disasters, and economic management problems. There has been little growth in the last half of the 1990s, with real GDP in 1999 barely 3% higher than in 1994, not enough to compensate for population growth. A new administration under the leadership of Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA in July 1999 has promised to restore integrity to state institutions, to stabilize the kina, to restore stability to the national budget, to privatize public enterprises where appropriate, and to ensure ongoing peace on Bougainville. The government has had considerable success in attracting international support, specifically gaining the support of the IMF and the World Bank in securing development assistance loans. Significant challenges remain for MORAUTA, however, including gaining further investor confidence, specifically for the proposed Papua New Guinea-Australia oil pipeline, continuing efforts to privatize government assets, and in maintaining the support from members of Parliament who after 15 July 2001 can dismiss him with a vote of no-confidence. | Hong Kong has a bustling free market economy highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Indeed, imports and exports, including reexports, each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997 it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Per capita GDP compares with the level in the four big countries of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% in 1989-97. The widespread Asian economic difficulties in 1998 hit this trade-dependent economy quite hard, with GDP down 5%. The economy is undergoing a rapid recovery, with growth of 10% in 2000 to be followed by projected growth of 5% in 2001. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.693 billion kWh (1999) | 32.202 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 633 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 7.05 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 1.82 billion kWh (1999) | 27.726 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
54.95% hydro: 45.05% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m |
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m |
Environment - current issues | rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought | air and water pollution from rapid urbanization |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
party to:
Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member) |
Ethnic groups | Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian | Chinese 95%, other 5% |
Exchange rates | kina per US dollar - 2.81 (October 2000), 2.696 (2000), 2.539 (1999), 2.058 (1998), 1.434 (1997), 1.318 (1996) | Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7990 (January 2001), 7.7912 (2000), 7.7575 (1999), 7.7453 (1998), 7.7421 (1997), 7.7343 (1996); note - Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China on 1 July 1997; before then, the Hong Kong dollar was linked to the US dollar at the rate of about 7.8 Hong Kong dollars per US dollar |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Silas ATOPARE (since 13 November 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA (since NA August 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Michael OGIO (since 3 November 2000) cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the National Executive Council; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general for up to five years on the basis of majority support in National Parliament |
chief of state:
President of China JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) head of government: Chief Executive TUNG Chee-hwa (since 1 July 1997) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex-officio members and 10 appointed members; ex-officio members are: Chief Secretary Anson CHAN (since 29 November 1993), Financial Secretary Donald TSANG (since 7 March 1995), and Secretary of Justice Elsie LEUNG (since 1 July 1997) elections: NA |
Exports | $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $204 billion (including reexports; f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns | clothing, textiles, footwear, electrical appliances, watches and clocks, toys |
Exports - partners | Australia 30%, Japan 12%, Germany 7%, South Korea 4%, Philippines 3%, UK 3% (1999) | China 33%, US 24%, Japan 5%, UK 4%, Germany, Singapore (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered | red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $12.2 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $181 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
30% industry: 35% services: 35% (1999 est.) |
agriculture:
0.1% industry: 14.3% services: 85.6% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $25,400 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.9% (2000 est.) | 10% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 147 00 E | 22 15 N, 114 10 E |
Geography - note | shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast | more than 200 islands |
Heliports | 2 (2000 est.) | 2 (2000 est.) |
Highways | total:
19,600 km paved: 686 km unpaved: 18,914 km (1996) |
total:
1,831 km paved: 1,831 km unpaved: 0 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
1.7% highest 10%: 40.5% (1996) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | a hub for Southeast Asian heroin and regional stimulants trade; transshipment and money-laundering center; increasing indigenous amphetamine abuse |
Imports | $1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $215 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals | foodstuffs, transport equipment, raw materials, semimanufactures, petroleum; a large share is reexported |
Imports - partners | Australia 53%, Singapore 13%, Japan 6%, US 4%, New Zealand 4%, Malaysia 4% (1999) | China 44%, Japan 12%, US 7%, Taiwan 7%, South Korea, Singapore (1999) |
Independence | 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2.1% (2000) |
Industries | copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production; construction, tourism | textiles, clothing, tourism, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks |
Infant mortality rate | 58.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 17% (2000 est.) | 3.7% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, ESCAP (associate), ICC, ICFTU, IMO (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ISO (correspondent), WCL, WMO, WToO (associate), WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 3 (2000) | 17 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 20 sq km (1997 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the proposal of the National Executive Council after consultation with the minister responsible for justice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission) | The Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
Labor force | 1.941 million | 3.39 million (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 85%, industry NA%, services NA% | wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 31.5%, community and social services 24%, financing, insurance, and real estate 14.5%, transport and communications 11.6%, manufacturing 7.7%, construction 2.6% (October 1999) |
Land boundaries | total:
820 km border countries: Indonesia 820 km |
total:
30 km border countries: China 30 km |
Land use | arable land:
0.1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 92.9% other: 6% (1993 est.) |
arable land:
6% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 20% other: 72% (1997 est.) |
Languages | English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
note: 715 indigenous languages |
Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official |
Legal system | based on English common law | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Parliament - sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open electorates and 20 from provincial electorates; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14-28 June 1997 (next to be held NA June 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - PPP 15%, Pangu Pati 14%, NA 14%, PDM 8%, PNC 6%, PAP 5%, UP 3%, NP 1%, PUP 1%, independents 33%; seats by party - PPP 16, Pangu Pati 15, NA 15, PDM 9, PNC 7, PAP 5, UP 3, NP 1, PUP 1, independents 37; note - association with political parties is very fluid |
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 24 elected by popular vote, and 6 elected by an 800-member election committee; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 September 2000 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 12, Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong 10, Liberal Party 7, Frontier Party 5, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance 4, New Century Forum 2, Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood 1, independents 19 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
63.46 years male: 61.39 years female: 65.64 years (2001 est.) |
total population:
79.67 years male: 76.97 years female: 82.55 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 72.2% male: 81% female: 62.7% (1995 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 92.2% male: 96% female: 88.2% (1996 est.) |
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 | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China |
Map references | Oceania | Southeast Asia |
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 |
territorial sea:
3 NM |
Merchant marine | total:
20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 35,361 GRT/51,096 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.) |
total:
354 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,330,662 GRT/17,227,315 DWT ships by type: barge carrier 1, bulk 208, cargo 36, chemical tanker 7, combination bulk 2, container 59, liquefied gas 6, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, petroleum tanker 26, refrigerated cargo 3, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Bermuda 2, Belgium 1, Canada 2, China 9, Japan 3, Mongolia 1, Norway 1, South Africa 1, UK 7 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of China |
Military branches | Papua New Guinea Defense Force (includes Ground, Naval, and Air Forces, and Special Forces Unit) | Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) including elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $42 million (FY98) | $NA; note - separate budget for Hong Kong not established by China |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1% (FY98) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
1,306,159 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
2,020,937 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
723,012 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
1,520,531 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
47,139 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 16 September (1975) | National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
Nationality | noun:
Papua New Guinean(s) adjective: Papua New Guinean |
noun:
Chinese adjective: Chinese |
Natural hazards | active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis | occasional typhoons |
Natural resources | gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries | outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 7.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | National Alliance or NA [Michael SOMARE]; National Party or NP [Michael MEL]; Papua New Guinea United Party or Pangu Pati [Chris HAIVETA]; People's Action Party or PAP [Ted DIRO]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Sir Mekere MORAUTA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Simon KAUMI]; People's Progress Party or PPP [Michael NALI]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Alfred KAIABE]; United Party or UP [Rimbiuk PATO] | Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, chairman]; Citizens Party [leader NA]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong [Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, chairman]; Democratic Party [Martin LEE Chu-ming, chairman]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing, chairwoman]; Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood [leader NA]; Hong Kong Progressive Alliance [Ambrose LAU Hon-chuen]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun, chairman]; New Century Forum [NQ Ching-fai, chairman]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, Citizens Party, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, Liberal Party, New Century Forum |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions (pro-China) [LEE Chark-tim, president]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Liberal Democratic Federation [HU Fa-kuang, chairman] |
Population | 5,049,055 (July 2001 est.) | 7,210,505 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 37% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.43% (2001 est.) | 1.3% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Kieta, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul | Hong Kong |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 28 (1998) | AM 7, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 410,000 (1997) | 4.45 million (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total:
34 km standard gauge: 34 km 1.435-m gauge (all electrified) (1996 est.) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant 10%, indigenous beliefs 34% | eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies |
Telephone system | general assessment:
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 |
general assessment:
modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe |
Telephones - main lines in use | 47,000 (1996) | 3.839 million (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,053 (1996) | 3.7 million (December 1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (1997) | 4 (plus two repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills | hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north |
Total fertility rate | 4.3 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.29 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 4.5% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | 10,940 km | none |