Papua New Guinea Passport

The Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

[Area] 462800 square kilometers, with a marine exclusive economic zone area of 3.1 million square kilometers.

The population is 9.95 million. The urban population accounts for 15%, while the rural population accounts for 85%. 98% are Melanesians, while the rest are Micronesians, Polynesians, Chinese, and white. There are about 20000 Chinese and overseas Chinese. The official language is English, with over 820 local languages. Pidgin is popular in most parts of the country, with the southern region of Papua predominantly speaking Motu. 93% of the residents are Christians, and traditional fetishism also has some influence.

【 Capital 】 Port Moresby.

[Head of State] King Charles III of England. The king appointed the governor as his representative for a term of six years. Bob Dadae was re elected as the 11th Governor General of Papua New Guinea in January 2023.

Independence Day: September 16th.

【 Overview 】 Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It borders Irian Jaya Province in Indonesia to the west and faces Australia across the Torres Strait to the south. Belonging to the Melanesian Islands. There are over 600 islands in the entire region. The main islands include New Britain, New Ireland, Manus, Bougainville, and Buka. The coastline is 8300 kilometers long. An altitude of over 1000 meters belongs to mountainous climate, while the rest belongs to tropical climate. The dry season is from May to October, and the rainy season is from November to April. The average annual temperature in coastal areas is 21.1-32.2 ℃, while mountainous areas are 5-6 ℃ lower than coastal areas. The annual average precipitation is 2500 millimeters.

The highland areas of New Guinea have long been inhabited. In 1511, the Portuguese discovered the island of New Guinea. In the second half of the 18th century, Dutch, British, and German colonizers came one after another. In 1906, British New Guinea was handed over to Australia for management and renamed as the Australian Papua Territory. The German part was occupied by the Australian army during World War I and was entrusted to Australian management by the League of Nations on December 17, 1920. It was occupied by Japan in 1942. In 1945, the United Nations re entrusted it to Australian trusteeship. In 1949, Australia merged the former British and German territories into one administrative unit, known as the "Papua New Guinea Territory". Internal autonomy was implemented on December 1, 1973. Independence was achieved on September 16, 1975. Michael Somare was the first Prime Minister.

From May to August 2022, Papua New Guinea held elections, and Prime Minister James Marape was successfully re elected and sworn in on August 9th.

The Constitution was enacted on August 15, 1975 and came into effect on September 15 of the same year.

The parliament, also known as the National Assembly, has a unicameral system. 118 members of parliament with a term of 5 years. The current parliament will be elected in August 2022. The current Speaker, Job Pomat, will be re elected on August 9, 2022. In March 2022, the Papua New Guinea National Assembly approved the addition of 6 constituencies for the next 2027 general election, increasing the number of parliamentary seats to 124.

The government is formed by the majority political party or coalition of political parties in the parliament. The cabinet is responsible to the parliament. In addition to Prime Minister Malape, the other main members of the current cabinet are: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land, Planning and Urbanization John Rosso, Minister of State Owned Enterprises William Duma, Minister of Provincial and Local Government Affairs Soroi Eoe, Minister of Finance Rainbo Paita, Minister of National Planning Ano Pala, Minister of International Trade and Investment Richard Maru, Minister of Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko, and Minister of Defense Billy Joseph.

The country is divided into 20 provinces, with the establishment of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and the Capital Administrative Region (Port Moresby).

The judicial system includes the Supreme Court (also known as the appellate court or national court) and local courts. The current Chief Justice is Sir Gibbs Salika.

The current ruling coalition is dominated by the Pangu Party, with Prime Minister Malape as its leader. Other major political parties include the People's National Congress Party and the United Resource Party.

Bob Dadaer: Governor. Born in 1961 in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Obtained a Bachelor's degree in Business from the University of Papua New Guinea and a Master's degree in Business Management from Griffith University in Australia. Engaged in professions such as financial accounting for a long time. From 1999 to 2002, he served as a member of the Morobe Provincial Assembly. In 2002, he was elected as a member of the Papua New Guinea National Assembly and has been re elected ever since. From June 2004 to August 2007, he served as the Deputy Speaker of the Papua New Guinea National Assembly. He served as the Minister of National Defense from August 2007 to August 2011. Elected for re-election as the 11th Governor General of Papua New Guinea on January 19, 2023.

James Marappe: Prime Minister. Born in April 1971. Obtained a Bachelor's degree from the University of Papua New Guinea. Previously worked at the Papua New Guinea Medical Research Institute and in enterprises. Elected as a member of parliament in 2007 and re elected until now. Appointed as Minister of Education in 2008 and Minister of Finance in 2012. Elected as Prime Minister for the first time in May 2019 and re elected in August 2022.

【 Economy 】 Abundant resources but uneven economic development. Mineral resources, petroleum, and agricultural cash crops are the pillar industries of Papua New Guinea's economy. In recent years, the Papua New Guinea government has focused on developing the economy and formulated development strategic plans such as the "2010-2030 Development Plan", "2050 Vision Plan", and "Connecting Papua New Guinea", providing a relatively stable external policy environment for Papua New Guinea's economic and social development, enabling the Papua New Guinea economy to achieve positive growth for several consecutive years. The government has increased its efforts to attract foreign investment and achieved certain results. Significant progress has been made in investment projects such as liquefied natural gas and the Ramu nickel mine, which have played an important role in promoting sustained economic growth in Papua New Guinea. However, in recent years, due to the impact of the COVID-19 and fluctuations in the international market, PNG's economic growth has slowed down and the government's financial difficulties have increased. Meanwhile, many residents in mountainous areas still live a self-sufficient life as primitive tribes. Nearly 37% of the national population lives below the international poverty line ($1.25 per capita per day). According to the 2021 United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index, Papua New Guinea ranks 156th out of 191 countries, with 46.5% living below the international poverty line (2.15 US dollars per day per capita). The population is growing rapidly, with a large number of rural residents flowing to cities. The unemployment rate remains high, and social security needs to be improved. The lives of the general public are still difficult. The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 31 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 2520 US dollars.

Economic growth rate: 2.7%.

Currency name: Kina.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 3.5 Kina.

(Information)

Gold and copper production rank 11th and 10th in the world, respectively, while oil and natural gas reserves are abundant. The proven copper reserves are 20 million tons, gold reserves are 3110 tons, crude oil reserves are 600 million barrels, and copper gold symbiotic mineral reserves are about 400 million tons. In addition, there are abundant resources such as gold mines, chromium, nickel, bauxite, underwater natural gas, and oil. The reserves of Kutubu and Yibei oil fields reach 400 million barrels. The reserves of oil fields in the southern region of China reach 17 million barrels. The proven reserves of natural gas are 7 trillion cubic feet, and the predicted reserves are 15 trillion cubic feet.

Tropical primary forests cover an area of 36 million hectares, accounting for approximately 86.4% of the country's total land area. The total volume of forest trees is 1.2 billion cubic meters, with a recoverable volume of 360 million cubic meters. The main export is raw wood, and deep processed products include building materials such as furniture, plywood, and flooring.

[Agriculture] The agricultural population accounts for 85% of the national population. The main agricultural products are dried coconut, cocoa beans, coffee, natural rubber, and palm oil.

In 1978, Papua New Guinea declared a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, expanding the fishing area to 2.4 million square kilometers. The fishery resources are abundant, producing tuna, shrimp, and lobster, with tuna resources accounting for 20% of the world's reserves.

The tourism industry is rich in tourism resources and has great potential for development. Before the epidemic, it received about 70000 foreign tourists annually.

Transportation: The total length of the highway is about 30000 kilometers.

Water transportation: It has sea transportation links with Australia, Japan, Singapore, other Pacific island countries and other countries and regions, as well as Taiwan, China, China, Hong Kong and other places. The main ports include Port Moresby, Lae, and Rabaul.

Air Transport: The largest airline in Papua New Guinea is the state-owned Air New Guinea, which operates routes to major cities in the country as well as Australia, Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and the Solomon Islands, with 13 aircraft. In addition, Papua New Guinea has six or seven private airlines that operate small aircraft such as helicopters for transportation. There are over 500 registered airports, most of which are small airports located in remote areas, with only a few airports capable of accommodating large aircraft. Among them, international airports include Capital Jackson International Airport, Mount Hagen Airport, Daru Airport, and Alotao Airport.

The main sources of fiscal revenue are taxes and international aid. In 2022, the fiscal revenue was 5.146 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 33.7%; Expenditure (including fiscal funds and external aid) was 6.77 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 21.2%, with a deficit of 1.624 billion US dollars. As of 2022, Papua New Guinea's external debt is 7.257 billion US dollars.

The main banks include: (1) Bank of Papua New Guinea, also known as the Central Bank of Papua New Guinea, established in 1973, responsible for formulating monetary policy, regulating other commercial banks, and issuing currency.

(2) South Pacific Bank (BSP): accounts for 60% of the national market, with the government owning 25.3% of its shares.

In addition, Papua New Guinea also has commercial banks such as Australia's ANZ Bank, Western Pacific Bank, and Malaysia's Maybank.

Trade plays an important role in the economy of Papua New Guinea. In 2022, the total foreign trade volume of Papua New Guinea was 18.252 billion US dollars, of which exports were 11.435 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 12.85%; Imports amounted to 6.817 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 27.78%.

The main exports include primary products such as copper, gold, mineral sand, logs, crude oil, coconut oil, coconut oil, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, etc. The main trading partners include Australia, Japan, New Zealand, China, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.

Actively encourage foreign investment. The main sources of investment are Australia (accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total), Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, and the United States. Almost all industries in Papua New Guinea, including industry, mining, forestry, agriculture, and fisheries, are controlled by companies from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries.

Foreign aid mainly comes from Australia. In the fiscal year 2022/23, Australia provided approximately AUD 602.2 million in aid to Papua New Guinea. data

[Famous Company] (1) Air Niugini: The state-owned airline of Papua New Guinea, established in 1973, with total assets of 115 million Kina. Operates multiple international routes from Port Moresby to Brisbane, Cairns, Honiara, Manila, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and over 20 domestic routes.

(2) Steamships Trading Company Ltd.: The largest private comprehensive commercial company in Papua New Guinea, founded in 1919. I am currently engaged in wholesale and retail of goods, shipping, hotels, real estate, automobiles and accessories, soap production, and engineering construction.

The education system in Papua New Guinea is divided into three levels: central, provincial, and local. The national literacy rate is 57.8%. Since the implementation of the free compulsory education system, the number and enrollment of primary and secondary schools in Papua New Guinea have increased sharply. There are currently about 10500 registered primary and secondary schools in the country, with approximately 1.8 million students enrolled. There are currently 6 universities, mainly including Papua New Guinea University and Papua New Guinea University of Technology, with approximately 8000 students. There are also 21 private urban and rural international schools with over 6000 students.

The main news agency is the official Papua New Guinea International News Agency. The main newspapers include: the English newspaper "Guomin Daily", "Messenger Post", and the Pidgin language newspaper "Tongxiang Daily". The National Broadcasting Corporation of Papua New Guinea (NBC) was established in 1975 and has three main radio stations.

The Papua New Guinea Army was established in 1940, known as the Papua New Guinea Defense Force, and currently has a strength of 2000 personnel. Papua New Guinea has signed a defense cooperation agreement with Australia, which provides approximately AUD 25 million in military aid and military training annually. In May 2023, Papua New Guinea signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States.

We adhere to a neutral policy towards foreign relations, advocate peaceful coexistence among countries, increase economic exchanges and cooperation, and are committed to peace and stability in the South Pacific region. Support the United Nations to play an active role in international affairs. Actively participate in international and regional affairs. In recent years, while continuing to develop traditional relations with South Pacific countries such as Australia and New Zealand, as well as European and American countries, the Papua New Guinea government has attached increasing importance to East and Southeast Asian countries and actively expanded its relations with Asian countries such as China. Papua New Guinea has established diplomatic relations with over 70 countries and is a member of organizations such as the United Nations, the Non Aligned Movement, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, the ASEAN Regional Forum, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community, and the Melanesian Pioneer Group. It has 18 diplomatic missions abroad.

In recent years, Papua New Guinea's diplomacy has been active and increasingly focused on playing a role in multilateral diplomacy. Hosted the 16th Melanesian Pioneer Group Conference, 5th South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) Conference, SPTO Ministerial Council Meeting, 16th ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, 2015 Pacific Games, 46th Pacific Islands Forum Meeting, 8th ACP Summit, and the 26th APEC Leaders' Informal Meeting in 2018.

Papua New Guinea has close relations with Australia, with frequent visits between the leaders of the two countries and annual ministerial level consultations. Australia is the largest aid donor and trading and investment partner of Papua New Guinea, accounting for nearly two-thirds of foreign investment in Papua New Guinea. Both sides have also established a consultation mechanism for defense ministers. Under the "Defense Cooperation Program" between the two countries, Australia provides military assistance to Papua New Guinea, including training and technical consultation, and the two sides regularly conduct joint military exercises. Australia and Papua New Guinea establish a "police partnership" and send police to Papua New Guinea to assist in maintaining social order. In March 2015, Australian Prime Minister Abbott visited Papua New Guinea and the two sides signed an Economic Cooperation Agreement. In May, Australian Foreign Minister Bishop visited Papua New Guinea. In April 2017, Australian Prime Minister Turnbull visited Papua New Guinea. In July 2019, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Malape visited Australia. In August 2022, Australian Foreign Minister Huang Yingxian visited Papua New Guinea. In January 2023, Australian Prime Minister Albanese visited Papua New Guinea. In February 2024, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Malape visited Australia.

The relationship between the two countries is close. Papua New Guinea is New Zealand's largest aid recipient and the third largest export market in the South Pacific region. In February 2020, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Malape visited New Zealand. In September 2022, New Zealand Foreign Minister Mahuta visited Papua New Guinea.

The two countries have signed agreements on defense cooperation and joint military exercises, and Papua New Guinea allows US warships to dock at its ports. According to the Defense Arrangements Plan with the United States, Papua New Guinea has sent military officers to the United States for training. The United States provides a large amount of humanitarian aid to Papua New Guinea, providing assistance for the reconstruction of Bougainville and other areas. From June to July 2015, the US military's "Mercy" hospital ship visited the autonomous region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and the province of East New Britain, providing medical services to local residents and conducting disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation exercises and training. In December 2016, Commander Harris of the US Pacific Command visited Papua New Guinea. In November 2018, US Vice President Pence went to Papua New Guinea to attend the 26th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. In April 2022, Campbell, the coordinator of Indo Pacific affairs for the National Security Council of the White House, visited Papua New Guinea. In September 2022, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Malape went to the United States to attend the first US Pacific Island Leaders' Summit. In November 2022, the Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Meeks, visited Papua New Guinea. In January 2023, John Aquilino, Commander of the US Indo Pacific Command, visited Papua New Guinea. In March 2023, Campbell, the coordinator of Indo Pacific affairs for the National Security Council of the White House, visited Papua New Guinea. In May 2023, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited PNG. In July 2023, US Defense Secretary Austin visited Papua New Guinea. In September 2023, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Malape will attend the second United States Pacific Islands Forum Summit in the United States.

[Relations with other Pacific island countries] It is a member of the Melanesian Pioneer Group along with Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Vanuatu. In March 2007, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Somare signed the Melanesian Pioneer Group Charter with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sogavare, Vanuatu Prime Minister Lini, and Fiji's interim government Foreign Minister Naratikao in the capital city of Vila.

Strengthening relations with ASEAN countries is one of the key focuses of Papua New Guinea's external work. In recent years, the Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister has been attending ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings as an observer. In 1994, Papua New Guinea became a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum. Malaysia is the second largest investor in Papua New Guinea. There are also many private enterprises investing in Papua New Guinea from Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. In March 2015, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno visited Papua New Guinea. In May 2015, Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Papua New Guinea. In March 2022, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Malape visited Indonesia. In February 2024, the Papua New Guinea Indonesia Defense Cooperation Agreement officially came into effect.

Japan is Papua New Guinea's second largest trading partner and second largest aid donor. In July 2014, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Papua New Guinea. In May 2015, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister O'Neill went to Japan to attend the 7th Japan Pacific Island Leaders' Meeting and held a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In October 2015, Prime Minister O'Neill made an official visit to Japan. In May 2016, O'Neill went to Japan to attend the expanded G7 meeting. In May 2018, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister O'Neill went to Japan to attend the 8th Japan Pacific Island Leaders' Meeting and held a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In August 2020, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi visited Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea is a member of the Commonwealth and has signed a defense cooperation agreement with the UK. The UK provides approximately $100000 in aid to Papua New Guinea annually. In June 2015, Prime Minister O'Neill visited three European countries including the UK, Belgium, and France, and was received by Queen Elizabeth II during the visit. In July 2015, Prince Andrew, Duke of York of the United Kingdom, attended the opening ceremony of the Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea. In July 2023, French President Macron visited Papua New Guinea.