Asian Pacific Independence
ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH, 2015 -BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION The rich heritage of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders spans the world and the depths of America's history. Generation after generation, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have forged a proud legacy that reflects the spirit of our Nation - a country that values the contributions of everyone who calls America home. During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we honor the perseverance of those who courageously reached for their hopes and dreams in a new land, and we celebrate the important impact the AAPI community has made on our Nation's progress. From the more than one million immigrants who journeyed across the Pacific and arrived on Angel Island to the Chinese-American laborers who risked their lives to link our coasts by rail, the determination of this vibrant community represents the best of our national character.
In each chapter of our country's story - in places like Selma and the grape fields of Delano, during the moments where our Nation's destiny has been decided - AAPIs of all backgrounds have set inspiring examples as leaders and trailblazers, united by a common hope for civil rights, equal treatment, and a better tomorrow for all Americans. Through times of hardship and in the face of enduring prejudice, these women and men have persisted and forged ahead to help strengthen our Union. Native Hawaiians have fought to protect their treasured traditions, language, and lands. And AAPI patriots have defended the beliefs for which we stand. Seventy years ago, the United States and our allies secured a lasting peace throughout the Asia Pacific region and much of the world - a victory achieved in part by thousands of Filipino Americans who fought valiantly but were denied compensation, and also by Japanese Americans who served this country even as the freedom of their loved ones was denied. Fifty years ago, the United States opened new doors of opportunity to more Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants through the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, ending the arbitrary and outdated policies that unfairly limited the potential of entire regions. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, which brought new Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, and Laotian communities to this country.
But as we recognize the enormous progress America has made, we must also acknowledge the many struggles AAPIs continue to experience in the face of persistent inequality and bigotry, including barriers to equal access to education, employment, and health care. South Asian Americans - especially those who are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh - too often face senseless violence and harassment due only to the color of their skin or the tenets of their faith. And to this day, many AAPIs continue to live in the shadows and are separated from their families due to our broken immigration system. My Administration is committed to addressing these unmet needs and the ugly discrimination that still exists. I was proud to re-establish the White House Initiative on AAPIs soon after I took office, to foster opportunities for increased access to and involvement in Federal programs. As part of that effort, my Administration is expanding its regional network of Federal leaders and hosting community meetings across the country to better understand the needs of the diverse AAPI community.
Last year, I announced my intent to take actions that would allow more high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, and I continue to call on the Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. To highlight the tremendous growth of the AAPI community and my Administration's commitment to increasing opportunity for AAPIs everywhere, this month we will host the White House Summit on AAPIs - an unprecedented and historic all-day convening of senior Federal officials and community leaders from across the country. As we commemorate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we pay tribute to all those in the AAPI community who have striven for a brighter future for the next generation. Together, let us recommit to embracing the diversity that enriches our Nation and to ensuring all our people have an equal chance to succeed in the country we love. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2015 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to visit obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/AAPI to learn more about our efforts on behalf of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
BARACK OBAMA.
. Per capita $3,123 (1996) 50.9 high (2017) 0.544 low Currency Time zone +10, +11 Papua New Guinea ( PNG;:,:;: Papua Niugini;: Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an country that occupies the eastern half of the island of and its offshore islands in, a region of the southwestern north of Australia. Its capital, located along its southeastern coast, is. The forms the provinces of.
At the national level, after being ruled by three external powers since 1884, Papua New Guinea established its sovereignty in 1975. This followed nearly 60 years of Australian administration, which started during.
It became an independent in 1975 with as its and became a member of the in its own right. Papua New Guinea is one of the most countries in the world. It is also one of the most rural, as only 18 per cent of its people live in urban centres. There are 852 known, of which 12 now have no known living speakers. Most of the population of more than 8 million people lives in, which are as diverse as the languages. The country is one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically. It is known to have numerous groups of, and researchers believe there are many undiscovered species of plants and animals in the interior.
Papua New Guinea is classified as a by the. Strong growth in led to the country becoming the in the world in 2011. Growth was expected to slow once major resource projects came on line in 2015. Mining remains a major economic factor, however. Local and national governments are discussing the potential of resuming mining operations at the Panguna mine in, which has been closed since the civil war in the 1980s–1990s.
Nearly 40 per cent of the population lives a self-sustainable natural lifestyle with no access to global capital. Most of the people still live in strong traditional social groups based on. Their social lives combine traditional religion with modern practices, including primary education. These societies and are explicitly acknowledged by the Papua New Guinea Constitution, which expresses the wish for 'traditional villages and communities to remain as viable units of Papua New Guinean society' and protects their continuing importance to local and national community life.
The nation is an observer state in the or ASEAN since 1976, and has already filed its application for full membership status. It is a full member of the (formerly South Pacific Forum) and the.
Of southeast New Guinea in 1884 Archaeological evidence indicates that humans first arrived in Papua New Guinea around 42,000 to 45,000 years ago. They were descendants of migrants out of Africa, in one of the early waves of human migration. Agriculture was independently developed in the New Guinea highlands around 7000 BC, making it one of the few areas in the world where people independently domesticated plants. A major migration of peoples to coastal regions of New Guinea took place around 500 BC. This has been correlated with the introduction of pottery, pigs, and certain fishing techniques.
In the 18th century, traders brought the to New Guinea, where it was adopted and became part of the staples. Had obtained it from South America and introduced it to the. The far higher crop yields from sweet potato gardens radically transformed traditional agriculture and societies. Sweet potato largely supplanted the previous staple, and resulted in a significant increase in population in the highlands. Although by the late 20th century and had been practically eradicated, in the past they were practised in many parts of the country as part of rituals related to warfare and taking in enemy spirits or powers.
In 1901, on Goaribari Island in the, missionary Harry Dauncey found 10,000 skulls in the island's long houses, a demonstration of past practices. According to Marianna Torgovnick, writing in 1991, 'The most fully documented instances of cannibalism as a social institution come from New Guinea, where head-hunting and ritual cannibalism survived, in certain isolated areas, into the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies, and still leave traces within certain social groups.' Little was known in Europe about the island until the 19th century, although, such as Dom and, had encountered it as early as the 16th century. Traders from Southeast Asia had visited New Guinea beginning 5,000 years ago to collect plumes.
The country's dual name results from its complex administrative history before independence. The word papua is derived from an old local term of uncertain origin. 'New Guinea' ( Nueva Guinea) was the name by the explorer. In 1545, he noted the resemblance of the people to those he had earlier seen along the coast of Africa. Guinea, in its turn, is etymologically derived from the. The name is one of several sharing similar, ultimately meaning 'land of the blacks' or similar meanings, in reference to the of the inhabitants. New Guinea from 1884 to 1919.
And controlled the eastern half of New Guinea. In the nineteenth century, Germany ruled the northern half of the country for some decades, beginning in 1884, as a colony named. In 1914 after the outbreak of, Australian forces landed and and occupied it throughout the war. After the war, in which Germany and the Central Powers were defeated, the authorised Australia to administer this area as a territory. The southern half of the country had been colonised in 1884 by the United Kingdom as. With the, the UK transferred this territory to the newly formed, which took on its administration. Additionally, from 1905, British New Guinea was renamed as the.
In contrast to establishing an Australian mandate in former German New Guinea, the League of Nations determined that Papua was an External Territory of the Australian Commonwealth; as a matter of law it remained a British possession. The difference in legal status meant that until 1949, Papua and New Guinea had entirely separate administrations, both controlled by Australia. These conditions contributed to the complexity of organising the country's post-independence legal system. Australian forces attack Japanese positions during the, 7 January 1943. During, the (1942–1945) was one of the major military campaigns and conflicts between Japan and the Allies. Approximately 216,000 Japanese, Australian, and US servicemen died.
After World War II and the victory of the Allies, the two territories were combined into the. This was later referred to as 'Papua New Guinea'. The natives of Papua appealed to the United Nations for oversight and independence. The nation established independence from on 16 September 1975, becoming a, continuing to share as its head of state. It maintains close ties with Australia, which continues to be its largest aid donor. Papua New Guinea was admitted to membership in the United Nations on 10 October 1975.
Australian in 1964 A secessionist revolt in 1975–76 on resulted in an eleventh-hour modification of the draft to allow for Bougainville and the other eighteen districts to have quasi-federal status as provinces. A renewed on Bougainville started in 1988 and claimed 20,000 lives until it was resolved in 1997. Bougainville had been the chief mining region of the country, generating 40% of the national budget. The native peoples felt they were bearing the adverse environmental effects of the mining, which poisoned the land, water and air, without gaining a fair share of the profits.
The government and rebels negotiated a peace agreement that established the Bougainville Autonomous District and Province. The autonomous Bougainville elected as president in 2005, who served until his death in 2008. He was succeeded by his deputy as acting president while an election to fill the unexpired term was organised. Won that election in December 2008 and served until the inauguration of John Momis, the winner of the 2010 elections. As part of the current peace settlement, a is planned to be held in Bougainville sometime before mid-2020. Preparations were underway in 2015.
Numerous Chinese have worked and lived in Papua New Guinea, establishing Chinese-majority communities. Chinese merchants became established in the islands before European exploration. Rioting involving tens of thousands of people broke out in May 2009.
The initial spark was a fight between and Papua New Guinean workers at a factory under construction by a Chinese company. Native resentment against Chinese ownership of numerous small businesses and their commercial monopoly in the islands led to the rioting. The Chinese have long been merchants in Papua New Guinea. In the same year, Papua New Guinea asked various Southeast Asian nations for their support for in the (ASEAN). Supported the bid after Papua New Guinea supported Indonesia's hold on.
However, the Christian-majority and Buddhist-majority, and have expressed displeasure over Papua New Guinea's anti-LGBT laws, stating that equality-friendly would most likely be a more feasible ASEAN member state in the future. In 2012, despite a refugee crisis at the border of Papua New Guinea and West Papua, the country was steadfast in its support of Indonesia, which promised Papua New Guinea a greater role in ASEAN in the future. By 2017, the Indonesian-led genocide against West Papuan natives peaked with almost 25% of the native population killed within a 50-year period.
The realisation caused massive backlash from Oceanian nations against Papua New Guinea's policy on West Papua. In January 2017, Papua New Guinea gave citizenship to 138 West Papuan refugees in a bid to calm tensions. In September 2017, Papua New Guinea rejected the West Papuan Independence Petition in the, to the pleasure of Indonesia.
From March to April 2018, hit Papua New Guinea, causing various damage. Various nations from Oceania, the and immediately sent aid to the country. Government and politics. Main article: Papua New Guinea is a. Queen is its sovereign and head of state.
The constitutional convention, which prepared the draft constitution, and Australia, the outgoing metropolitan power, had thought that Papua New Guinea would not remain a monarchy. The founders, however, considered that imperial honours had a cachet.
The monarch is represented by the, currently. Papua New Guinea (and the ) are unusual among Commonwealth realms in that governors-general are elected by the legislature, rather than chosen by the executive branch. The heads the, which consists of 31 MPs from the ruling coalition, which make up the government. The current prime minister is. The has 111 seats, of which 22 are occupied by the governors of the 22 provinces and the (NCD). Candidates for members of parliament are voted upon when the prime minister asks the governor-general to call a national election, a maximum of five years after the previous national election. In the early years of independence, the instability of the party system led to frequent in parliament, with resulting changes of the government, but with referral to the electorate, through national elections only occurring every five years.
In recent years, successive governments have passed legislation preventing such votes sooner than 18 months after a national election and within 12 months of the next election. In December 2012, the first two (of three) readings were passed to prevent votes of no confidence occurring within the first 30 months. This restriction on votes of no confidence has arguably resulted in greater stability, although perhaps at a cost of reducing the accountability of the executive branch of government. Elections in PNG attract numerous candidates. After independence in 1975, members were elected by the system, with winners frequently gaining less than 15% of the vote. Electoral reforms in 2001 introduced the system (LPV), a version of the.
The was the first to be conducted using LPV. This section needs to be updated.
Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2012) In 2011 there was a between the parliament-elect Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill (voted into office by a large majority of MPs), and, who was deemed by the supreme court (in a December Opinion, 3:2) to retain office. The stand-off between parliament and the supreme court continued until the July 2012 national elections, with legislation passed effectively removing the chief justice and subjecting the supreme court members to greater control by the legislature, as well as a series of other laws passed, for example limiting the age for a prime minister. The confrontation reached a peak, with the Deputy Prime Minister entering the supreme court during a hearing, escorted by some police, ostensibly to arrest the Chief Justice. There was strong pressure among some MPs to defer the national elections for a further six months to one year, although their powers to do that were highly questionable. The parliament-elect prime minister and other cooler-headed MPs carried the votes for the writs for the new election to be issued, slightly late, but for the election itself to occur on time, thereby avoiding a continuation of the constitutional crisis. The crisis was tense at times, but largely restricted to the political and legal fraternity, plus some police factions.
The public and public service (including most police and military) stood back. It was a period when, with increased telecommunication access and use of social media (notably Facebook and mobile phones), the public and students played some part in helping maintain restraint and demanding the leadership to adhere to constitutional processes.
They insisted on having the elections so that the people could say who should be their legitimate representatives for the next five years. Under a 2002 amendment, the leader of the party winning the largest number of seats in the election is invited by the governor-general to form the government, if he can muster the necessary majority in parliament. The process of forming such a coalition in PNG, where parties do not have much ideology, involves considerable horsetrading right up until the last moment.
Peter O'Neill emerged as Papua New Guinea's prime minister after the July 2012 election, and formed a government with, the former Governor of East New Britain Province, as deputy prime minister. Main article: The unicameral Parliament enacts legislation in the same manner as in other jurisdictions that have 'cabinet,' 'responsible government,' or 'parliamentary democracy': it is introduced by the executive government to the legislature, debated and, if passed, becomes law when it receives royal assent by the Governor-General. Most legislation is regulation implemented by the bureaucracy under enabling legislation previously passed by Parliament. All ordinary statutes enacted by Parliament must be consistent with the Constitution.
The courts have jurisdiction to rule on the constitutionality of statutes, both in disputes before them and on a reference where there is no dispute but only an abstract question of law. Unusual among developing countries, the judicial branch of government in Papua New Guinea has remained remarkably independent, and successive executive governments have continued to respect its authority.
The 'underlying law' (Papua New Guinea's ) consists of principles and rules of common law and equity in English common law as it stood on 16 September 1975 (the date of Independence), and thereafter the decisions of PNG's own courts. The courts are directed by the Constitution and, latterly, the Underlying Law Act, to take note of the 'custom' of traditional communities.
They are to determine which customs are common to the whole country and may be declared also to be part of the underlying law. In practice, this has proved extremely difficult and has been largely neglected.
Statutes are largely adapted from overseas jurisdictions, primarily Australia and England. Advocacy in the courts follows the adversarial pattern of other common-law countries. This national court system, used in towns and cities, is supported by a village court system in the more remote areas. The law underpinning the village courts is 'customary law'.
Foreign policy. This section does not any. Unsourced material may be challenged. (January 2018) In foreign policy, Papua New Guinea is a member of the, Pacific Islands Forum, and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) of countries.
It was accorded Observer status within in 1976, followed later by Special Observer status in 1981. It is also a member of and an country, associated with the European Union. The country has a low-key initiative when it comes to the Indonesia-sponsored due to its application in ASEAN, where the headquarters is in. Papua New Guinea has positive ties with and countries in.
It also has good ties with fellow-Christian country, the, especially in the education sector. The country's policy has been focusing on ties with Southeast Asia in recent years due to its application in ASEAN, which is supported by the Philippines and co-observer. Military. See also: Papua New Guinea is often ranked as likely the worst place in the world for. A 2013 study in found that 27% of men on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea, reported having raped a non-partner, while 14.1% reported having committed. According to, nearly half of reported rape victims are under 15 years of age and 13% are under 7 years of age. A report by Australia, citing former Parliamentarian Dame, claimed 50% of those seeking medical help after rape are under 16, 25% are under 12, and 10% are under 8.
The 1976 Sorcery Act imposed a penalty of up to 2 years in prison for the practice of, until the Act was repealed in 2013. An estimated 50–150 alleged are each year in Papua New Guinea. There are also no protections given to. Are prohibited by law in Papua New Guinea. Administrative divisions. Main articles:, and Papua New Guinea is divided into four, which are not the primary administrative divisions but are quite significant in many aspects of government, commercial, sporting and other activities.
The nation has 22 -level divisions: twenty provinces, the and the. Each province is divided into one or more, which in turn are divided into one or more. Provinces are the primary administrative divisions of the country. Provincial governments are branches of the national government—Papua New Guinea is not a federation of provinces. The province-level divisions are as follows:. (Simbu).
Northern. (Fly). Provinces of Papua New Guinea.
In 2009, Parliament approved the creation of two additional provinces:, consisting of part of the existing, and, formed by dividing. Jiwaka and Hela officially became separate provinces on 17 May 2012.
The declaration of Hela and Jiwaka is a result of the largest (LNG) project in the country that is situated in both provinces. The government set 15 June 2019 as the voting date for an independence referendum in the.
The has said that there is a wide expectation Bougainville will vote to become independent. Geography.
Map of Papua New Guinea At 462,840 km 2 (178,704 sq mi), Papua New Guinea is the world's fifty-fourth-largest country. Including all its islands, it lies between latitudes and, and longitudes. Located north of the Australian mainland, the country's geography is diverse and, in places, extremely rugged. A spine of mountains, the, runs the length of the island of, forming a populous region mostly covered with, and the long, known as the 'Bird's Tail'.
Dense can be found in the lowland and coastal areas as well as very large areas surrounding the and rivers. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure. Some areas are accessible only on foot or by aeroplane.
The highest peak is at 4,509 metres (14,793 ft). Papua New Guinea is surrounded by which are under close watch, in the interests of preservation. The country is situated on the Pacific, at the point of collision of several. There are a number of active, and eruptions are frequent. Earthquakes are relatively common, sometimes accompanied. The mainland of the country is the eastern half of New Guinea island, where the largest towns are also located, including (capital) and; other major islands within Papua New Guinea include,. Papua New Guinea is one of the few regions close to the that experience, which occurs in the most elevated parts of the mainland.
Borders The border between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia was confirmed by treaty with Australia before independence in 1974. Maritime boundaries with Australia were confirmed by a treaty in 1978. Papua New Guinea's highlands Papua New Guinea is part of the, which also includes Australia, eastern, and several Pacific island groups, including the. Geologically, the island of New Guinea is a northern extension of the, forming part of a single land mass which is (also called Sahul or Meganesia). It is connected to the Australian segment by a shallow across the, which in former ages lay exposed as a, particularly during when sea levels were lower than at present.
Consequently, many species of birds and mammals found on New Guinea have close genetic links with corresponding species found in Australia. One notable feature in common for the two landmasses is the existence of several species of, including some and, which are not found elsewhere. Papua New Guinea is a. Many of the other islands within PNG territory, including New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, the, the, and the, were never linked to New Guinea by land bridges. As a consequence, they have their own flora and fauna; in particular, they lack many of the land mammals and flightless birds that are common to New Guinea and Australia.
A in Papua New Guinea Australia and New Guinea are portions of the ancient supercontinent of, which started to break into smaller continents in the era, 66–130 million years ago. Australia finally broke free from about 45 million years ago. All the Australasian lands are home to the, descended from the flora of southern Gondwana, including the and pines, and the broadleafed southern beech ( ). These plant families are still present in Papua New Guinea. As the Indo-Australian Plate (which includes landmasses of, Australia, and the Indian Ocean floor in between) drifts north, it collides with the.
The collision of the two plates pushed up the, the Indonesian islands, and New Guinea's Central Range. The Central Range is much younger and higher than the mountains of Australia, so high that it is home to rare equatorial.
New Guinea is part of the humid tropics, and many rainforest plants spread across the narrow straits from Asia, mixing together with the old Australian and Antarctic floras. PNG includes a number of terrestrial:. lowland rain forests – forested islands to the north of the mainland, home to a distinct flora. Green of Papua New Guinea bears a sharp contrast to nearby Australia. montane rain forests. rain forests.
New Britain-New Ireland lowland rain forests. New Britain-New Ireland montane rain forests.
Northern New Guinea montane rain forests. (includes Bougainville Island and Buka). Southeastern Papuan rain forests.
Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests. Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests. Central Range sub-alpine grasslands Three new species of mammals were discovered in the forests of Papua New Guinea by an Australian-led expedition. A small wallaby, a large-eared mouse and shrew-like marsupial were discovered. The expedition was also successful in capturing photographs and video footage of some other rare animals such as the tree kangaroo and the Weimang tree kangaroo.
Environmental issues. Port Moresby's central business district Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, including mineral and renewable resources, such as forests, marine (including a large portion of the world's major tuna stocks), and in some parts agriculture. The rugged terrain—including high mountain ranges and valleys, swamps and islands—and high cost of developing infrastructure, combined with other factors (including serious law and order problems in some centres and the system of customary land title) makes it difficult for outside developers. Local developers are handicapped by years of deficient investment in education, health, ICT and access to finance. Agriculture, for subsistence and cash crops, provides a livelihood for 85% of the population and continues to provide some 30% of GDP. Mineral deposits, including gold, and copper, account for 72% of export earnings.
Production has grown steadily over recent years (largely from estates and with extensive outgrower output), with now the main agricultural export. In households participating, coffee remains the major export crop (produced largely in the Highlands provinces), followed by and / from the coastal areas, each largely produced by smallholders and tea, produced on estates and rubber. The Iagifu/Hedinia Field was discovered in 1986 in the Papuan.: 471 Former Prime Minister Sir tried to restore integrity to state institutions, stabilise the, restore stability to the national budget, privatise public enterprises where appropriate, and ensure ongoing peace on Bougainville following the 1997 agreement which ended 's secessionist unrest. The Morauta government had considerable success in attracting international support, specifically gaining the backing of the (IMF) and the in securing development assistance loans. Significant challenges face Prime Minister Sir, including gaining further investor confidence, continuing efforts to privatise government assets, and maintaining the support of members of Parliament. In March 2006, the Policy called for Papua New Guinea's designation of developing country to be downgraded to least-developed country because of protracted economic and social stagnation.
Asian Pacific Independence Mo
However, an evaluation by the IMF in late 2008 found that 'a combination of prudent fiscal and monetary policies, and high global prices for mineral commodity exports, have sic underpinned Papua New Guinea's recent buoyant economic growth and macroeconomic stability. By 2012 PNG had enjoyed a decade of positive economic growth, at over 6% since 2007, even during the years of 2008/9. PNG's Real GDP growth rate as at 2011 was 8.9%,' and 9.2% for 2012, according to the Asian Development Bank. This economic growth has been primarily attributed to strong commodity prices, particularly mineral but also agricultural, with the high demand for mineral products largely sustained even during the crisis by the buoyant Asian markets, and particularly since 2009 by a buoyant outlook and the construction phase for natural gas exploration, production, and exportation in liquefied form ( or 'LNG') by LNG tankers , all of which will require multibillion-dollar investments (exploration, production wells, pipelines, storage, liquefaction plants, port terminals, LNG tanker ships). The first major gas project was the PNG LNG joint venture.
Is operator of the joint venture, also comprising PNG company, Kumul Petroleum Holdings (Papua New Guinea’s national oil and gas company), the PNG government's. The project is an integrated development that includes gas production and processing facilities in the, and Provinces of Papua New Guinea, including liquefaction and storage facilities (located northwest of Port Moresby) with capacity of 6.9 million tonnes per year. There are over 700 kilometres (430 mi) of pipelines connecting the facilities. It is the largest private-sector investment in the history of PNG.
A second major project is based on initial rights held by the French oil and gas major and the US company Corp. (IOC), which have partly combined their assets after Total agreed in December 2013 to purchase 61.3% of IOC's Antelope and Elk gas field rights, with the plan to develop them starting in 2016, including the construction of a liquefaction plant to allow export of LNG. Has separately another joint operating agreement with.
Further gas and mineral projects are proposed (including the large Wafi-Golpu copper-gold mine), with extensive exploration ongoing across the country. Economic 'development' based on the extractive industries carries difficult consequences for local communities. There has been much contention around river tailings in the vast Fly Riversubmarine tailings from the new Ramu-Nickel-cobalt mine, commencing exports in late 2012 (after a delay from landowner-led court challenges)and from proposed submarine mining in the Bismarck Sea (by ). One major project conducted through the PNG Department for Community Development suggested that other pathways to sustainable development should be considered. The PNG government's long-term Vision 2050 and shorter-term policy documents, including the 2013 Budget and the 2014 Responsible Sustainable Development Strategy, emphasise the need for a more diverse economy, based upon sustainable industries and avoiding the effects of from major resource extraction projects undermining other industries, as has occurred in many countries experiencing oil or other mineral booms, notably in Western Africa, undermining much of their agriculture sector, manufacturing and tourism, and with them broad-based employment prospects. Measures have been taken to mitigate these effects, including through the establishment of a, partly to stabilise revenue and expenditure flows, but much will depend upon the readiness to make real reforms to effective use of revenue, tackling rampant corruption and empowering households and businesses to access markets, services and develop a more buoyant economy, with lower costs, especially for small to medium-size enterprises.
The Institute of National Affairs, a PNG independent policy think tank, provides a report on the business and investment environment of Papua New Guinea every five years, based upon a survey of large and small, local and overseas companies, highlighting law and order problems and corruption, as the worst impediments, followed by the poor state of transport, power and communications infrastructure. Land tenure. The in southwestern Papua New Guinea The PNG legislature has enacted laws in which a type of tenure called ' is recognised, meaning that the traditional lands of the have some legal basis to inalienable tenure. This customary land notionally covers most of the usable land in the country (some 97% of total land area); is either held privately under state lease or is government land. Freehold title (also known as ) can only be held by Papua New Guinean citizens.
Only some 3% of the land of Papua New Guinea is in private hands; this is privately held under 99-year state lease, or it is held by the State. There is virtually no freehold title; the few existing freeholds are automatically converted to state lease when they are transferred between vendor and purchaser. Unalienated land is owned under customary title by traditional landowners. The precise nature of the varies from one culture to another.
Many writers portray land as in the communal ownership of traditional clans; however, closer studies usually show that the smallest portions of land whose ownership cannot be further divided are held by the individual heads of extended families and their descendants or their descendants alone if they have recently died. This is a matter of vital importance because a problem of economic development is identifying the membership of customary landowning groups and the owners. Disputes between mining and forestry companies and landowner groups often devolve on the issue of whether the companies entered into contractual relations for the use of land with the true owners. Customary property—usually land—cannot be devised by will. It can only be inherited according to the custom of the deceased's people. The Lands Act was amended in 2010 along with the Land Group Incorporation Act, intended to improve the management of state land, mechanisms for dispute resolution over land, and to enable customary landowners to be better able to access finance and possible partnerships over portions of their land, if they seek to develop it for urban or rural economic activities.
Wigman from the Population Year Million 1950 1.7 2000 5.6 2016 8.1 Papua New Guinea is one of the most nations in the world. There are hundreds of ethnic groups indigenous to Papua New Guinea, the majority being from the group known as, whose ancestors arrived in the New Guinea region tens of thousands of years ago. The other indigenous peoples are, their ancestors having arrived in the region less than four thousand years ago.
There are also numerous people from other parts of the world now resident, including, Europeans, Australians, Indonesians, Filipinos, Polynesians, and Micronesians (the last four belonging to the Austronesian family). Around 40,000 expatriates, mostly from Australia and China, were living in Papua New Guinea in 1975. Urbanisation. The language families in Ross's conception of the language family Papua New Guinea has more languages than any other country, with over 820 indigenous languages, representing 12% of the world's total, but most have fewer than 1,000 speakers. The most widely spoken indigenous language is, with about 200,000 speakers, followed.
Indigenous languages are classified into two large groups, and non-Austronesian, or, languages. There are four official languages in Papua New Guinea: English, sign language (which in practice means ),. English is the language of government and the education system, but it is not spoken widely. The primary of the country is Tok Pisin (commonly known in English as New Guinean Pidgin or Melanesian Pidgin), in which much of the debate in Parliament is conducted, many information campaigns and advertisements are presented, and until recently a national newspaper, was published.
The only area where Tok Pisin is not prevalent is the southern region of, where people often use the third official language,. Although it lies in the Papua region, Port Moresby has a highly diverse population which primarily uses Tok Pisin, and to a lesser extent English, with Motu spoken as the indigenous language in outlying villages. With an average of only 7,000 speakers per language, Papua New Guinea has a greater density of languages than any other nation on earth except. Health See Religion. Not stated (3.1%) The courts and government practice uphold the constitutional right to freedom of speech, thought, and belief, and no legislation to curb those rights has been adopted. The 2011 census found that 95.6% of citizens identified themselves as members of a Christian church, 1.4% were not Christian, 3.1% did not answer this census question.
These who stated no religion accounted for, approximately, 0%. Many citizens combine their Christian faith with some traditional indigenous religious practices. Christianity in Papua New Guinea is predominantly made up of, who collectively constitute roughly 70% of the total population. They are mostly represented by the, the, diverse denominations, the, the Papua New Guinea, and the. Apart from Protestants, there is a notable minority with approximately 25% of the population.
There are approximately 2,000. The majority belong to the group, while a small number are. Non-traditional Christian churches and non-Christian religious groups are active throughout the country.
The has stated that both Muslim and Confucian missionaries are active, and foreign missionary activity in general is high. Traditional religions are often. Some also tend to have elements of, though generalisation is suspect given the extreme heterogeneity of Melanesian societies. Prevalent among traditional tribes is the belief in masalai, or evil spirits, which are blamed for 'poisoning' people, causing calamity and death, and the practice of puripuri.
A 20th-century wooden ancestor figure ( nggwalndu) It is estimated that more than a thousand cultural groups exist in Papua New Guinea. Because of this diversity, many styles of cultural expression have emerged. Each group has created its own expressive forms in art, dance, weaponry, costumes, singing, music, architecture and much more. Most of these cultural groups have their own language. People typically live in villages that rely on subsistence farming.
In some areas people hunt and collect wild plants (such as and ) to supplement their diets. Those who become skilled at hunting, farming and fishing earn a great deal of respect.
On the river, there is a tradition of, often in the form of plants or animals, representing spirits. Are no longer the currency of Papua New Guinea, as they were in some regions—sea shells were abolished as currency in 1933. This tradition is still present in local customs. In some cultures, to get a bride, a groom must bring a certain number of golden-edged clam shells as a. In other regions, the bride price is paid in lengths of, pigs, or cash.
Elsewhere, it is brides who traditionally pay a. People of the highlands engage in colourful local rituals that are called 'sing sings'. They paint themselves and dress up with, and animal skins to represent birds, trees or mountain spirits. Sometimes an important event, such as a legendary battle, is enacted at such a musical festival.
The country possesses one (1), namely, which was inscribed in 2008. The country, however, has no elements inscribed yet in the, despite having one of the widest array of intangible cultural heritage elements in the world. Main article: Sport is an important part of Papua New Guinean culture and is by far the most popular sport.
In a nation where communities are far apart and many people live at a minimal subsistence level, rugby league has been described as a replacement for tribal warfare as a way of explaining the local enthusiasm for the game (a matter of life or death). Many Papua New Guineans have become instant celebrities by representing their country or playing in an overseas professional league.
Even Australian rugby league players who have played in the annual, which is celebrated feverishly every year in PNG, are among the most well-known people throughout the nation. State of Origin is a highlight of the year for most Papua New Guineans, although the support is so passionate that many people have died over the years in violent clashes supporting their team. The usually plays against the Australian Prime Minister's XIII (a selection of NRL players) each year, normally in Port Moresby. Although not as popular, is more significant in another way, as is ranked second, only after Australia. Other major sports which have a part in the Papua New Guinea sporting landscape are, and, in eastern Papua,.
The capital city, Port Moresby, hosted the in 2015. Education. Main article: A large proportion of the population is, with women predominating in this area. Much of the education in PNG is provided by church institutions. This includes 500 schools of the.
Papua New Guinea has six universities apart from other major tertiary institutions. The two founding universities are the, based in the, and the, based outside of, in. The four other universities which were once colleges were established recently after gaining government recognition. These are the in the Eastern Highlands province, (run by the 's ) in, in and (run by the ) in the National Capital District. Science and technology Papua New Guinea's National Vision 2050 was adopted in 2009. This has led to the establishment of the Research, Science and Technology Council.
At its gathering in November 2014, the Council re-emphasised the need to focus on sustainable development through. Vision 2050's medium-term priorities are:. emerging industrial technology for downstream processing;. infrastructure technology for the economic corridors;. knowledge-based technology;. Science and engineering education; and.
to reach the target of investing 5% of GDP in research and development by 2050. (There is no recent data for this indicator.) According to Thomson Reuters' Web of Science, Papua New Guinea had the largest number of publications (110) among Pacific Island states in 2014, followed by Fiji (106). Nine out of ten scientific publications from Papua New Guinea focused on immunology, genetics, biotechnology and microbiology. Nine out of ten were also co-authored by scientists from other countries, mainly Australia, the United States of America, United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland.
Forestry is an important economic resource for Papua New Guinea but the industry uses low and semi-intensive technological inputs. As a result, product ranges are limited to sawed timber, veneer, plywood, block board, moulding, poles and posts and wood chips. Only a few limited finished products are exported. Lack of automated machinery, coupled with inadequately trained local technical personnel, are some of the obstacles to introducing automated machinery and design.
Policy-makers need to turn their attention to eliminating these barriers, in order for forestry to make a more efficient and sustainable contribution to national economic development. In Papua New Guinea, renewable energy sources represent two-thirds of the total electricity supply. In 2015, the Secretariat of the observed that, 'while Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa are leading the way with large-scale hydropower projects, there is enormous potential to expand the deployment of other renewable energy options such as solar, wind, geothermal and ocean-based energy sources'. The European Union has funded the Renewable Energy in Pacific Island Countries Developing Skills and Capacity programme (EPIC).
Since its inception in 2013, the programme has developed a master’s programme in renewable energy management at the and helped to establish a Centre of Renewable Energy at the same university. Papua New Guinea is one of the 15 beneficiaries of a programme on Adapting to Climate Change and Sustainable Energy worth €37.26 million.
The programme resulted from the signing of an agreement in February 2014 between the European Union and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The other beneficiaries are the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Transport. Main article: Transport in Papua New Guinea is heavily limited by the country's mountainous terrain. As a result, air travel is the single most important form of transport for human and high density/value freight. Airplanes made it possible to open up the country during its early colonial period.
Even today the two largest cities, and, are only directly connected by planes. Port Moresby is not linked by road to any of the other major towns, and many remote villages can only be reached by light aircraft or on foot. Is the major international airport in Papua New Guinea, located 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Port Moresby. In addition to two international airfields, Papua New Guinea has 578 airstrips, most of which are unpaved. See also. Biskup, Peter, B. A Short History of New Guinea (1970).
Connell, John. Papua New Guinea: The Struggle for Development (1997). Gash, Noel. A Pictorial History of New Guinea (1975). Golson, Jack. 50,000 years of New Guinea history (1966).
Griffin, James. Papua New Guinea: A political history (1979).; Nadarajah, Yaso; Haive, Karen; Stead, Victoria (2012). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Knauft, Bruce M. South Coast New Guinea Cultures: History, Comparison, Dialectic (1993).
McCosker, Anne. Masked Eden: A History of the Australians in New Guinea (1998). Mckinnon, Rowan, et al. Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands (Country Travel Guide) (2008). Swadling, Pamela (1996).
Plumes from Paradise. Papua New Guinea National Museum. Short History of Papua New Guinea (1993). Waiko, John Dademo. Papua New Guinea: A History of Our Times (2003).
Zimmer-Tamakoshi, Laura. Modern Papua New Guinea (1998) Primary sources. Jinks, Brian, ed. Readings in New Guinea history (1973). (2000) memoir. Argonauts of the Western Pacific: An Account of Native Enterprise and Adventure in the Archipelagoes of Melanesian New Guinea (2002) famous anthropological account of the Trobriand Islanders; based on field work in 1910s. Visser, Leontine, ed.
Governing New Guinea: An Oral History of Papuan Administrators, 1950–1990 (2012). Whitaker, J.L. Documents and readings in New Guinea history: Pre-history to 1889 (1975) External links.