Part 581

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

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

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 147 00 E

Map references: Oceania

Area: total area: 461,690 sq km land area: 451,710 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 820 km border country: Indonesia 820 km

Coastline: 5,152 km

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

International disputes: none

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

Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 71% other: 28%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

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

People ------

Population: 4,394,537 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 40% (male 906,709; female 860,534) 15-64 years: 57% (male 1,303,084; female 1,195,245) 65 years and over: 3% (male 59,513; female 69,452) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.29% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 32.93 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 10.01 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female all ages: 1.07 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 60.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 57.25 years male: 56.4 years female: 58.15 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.45 children born/woman (1996 est.)