Papua New Guinea - MC Grecof

Introduction

Flag:

Card:

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.

Geography

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

Coordinates:

6° 00' S, 147° 00' E

Map references:

Oceania

Area:

total: 462,840 sq km
land: 452,860 sq km
water: 9,980 sq km

Land boundaries:

border countries: Indonesia 820 km

Coastline:

5.152 km

Climate:

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Terrain:

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

Geography - note:

shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

People

Population:

5.049.055 (July 2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
adjective: Papua New Guinean

Ethnic groups:

Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

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%

Languages:

English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
note: 715 indigenous languages

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

Economy

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.

Industries:

copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production; construction, tourism

Agriculture - products:

Coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables; poultry, pork

Currency:

kina (PGK)

Currency code:

PGK

Transportation

Geleise:

0 km

Highways:

total: 19,600 km
paved: 686 km
unpaved: 18,914 km (1996)

Waterways:

10.940 km

Ports and harbors:

Kieta, Lae, Madang, PortMoresby, Rabaul

Coffee

Papua New Guinea occupies the western half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya (no organized coffee production originates from Irian Jaya). Papua New Guinea is a distinct coffee amongst the Indonesians. The small-farm "Coffee Gardens" have a unique wild note in the cup but are in no way as earthy as other Indonesian coffees such as Sumatra and Sulawesi. These small farms are often organized into coops that share wet-milling facilities and are Organic certified,
The Plantation coffees are the larger farms and have the cleaner, more delicate and sophisticated cup character. While a lighter body than Javas, good PNG has the delicate notes, complexity, and sometimes the acidity or brightness of the best Central Americans.
I have also cupped small farm, natural dry-processed Papua New Guineas and been astounded with the depth, range of flavors and subtleties of the cup: hopefully we will see something of this kind available as a commercial coffee in the US market at some time. Much of the seedstock on Papua New Guinea is planted from the Jamaican Blue Mountain var. typica arabica, and with the Arushi typica varietal from Tanzania. Some are more modern hybrids or the Indian "Kent" varietal

Growing-areas:

Arabicas:
Robusta:

Goroka, Mount Hagen, Kundiawa
east and west province of Sepic, north Popondetta

Qualities:

Arabicas:
Robusta:

washed and natural (native) classified by defects and size
washed and natural

Altitude:

Arabicas:
Robusta:

1.000 to 2.100 meter
upto 1.000 meter

Harvest:

April/September

Shippingperiod:

June to November

Port of Export:

Lae (Arabicas)
Wewak (Robusta)

Shipment:

in container in bags (300 of each 60.- kos net)

Production:

1,147,000 bags

Exportabbildungen:

580,173 bags

Caffeine content:

1,30 %