New Guinea

Area Comparative: Slightly larger than California

Location: Oceania, 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.

Natural Resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries.  

Climate: tropical
Monsoon Season: northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Geography: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Population: 6,064,515
Growth Rate: 2.033%
Labor Force: agriculture: 85%

Average Life Expectancy: 65.99 years

Languages: Tok Pisin, English, and Hiri Motu are official languages; some 860 indigenous languages spoken

Religion: Roman Catholic 27%, Evangelical Lutheran 19.5%, United Church 11.5%

Literacy: 57.3%

Capital: Port Moresby

Independence Day: 16 September 1975

Phone main lines: 60,000

Phone cell lines: 900,000

562 airports

Ports: Kimbe, Lae, Madang, Rabaul, Wewak

Military: 16 years of age for voluntary military service

More females are fit for the military- 1,107,479

*relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionists*