FAX: 227-1964

Flag description: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white (hoist side) with a blue five-pointed star in the center and plain red; the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center

Panama Economy

Economy - overview: Panama's economy is based primarily on a well-developed services sector that accounts for three-fourths of GDP. Services include the Panama Canal, banking, the Colon Free Zone, insurance, container ports, flagship registry, and tourism. A slump in Colon Free Zone and agricultural exports, high oil prices, and the withdrawal of US military forces held back economic growth in 2000. The government plans public works programs, tax reforms, and new regional trade agreements in order to stimulate growth in 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.6 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7%

industry: 16.5%

services: 76.5% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: 37% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2%

highest 10%: 35.7% (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 1.1 million (2000 est.)

note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 20.8%, industry 18%, services 61.2% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13% (2000 est.)

Budget: revenues: $2.8 billion

expenditures: $2.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $471 million (2000 est.)

Industries: construction, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction materials, sugar milling

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 4.413 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 27.78%

hydro: 71.65%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0.57% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 4.049 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 95 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 40 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane, vegetables; livestock; shrimp

Exports: $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing

Exports - partners: US 42%, Germany 11%, Costa Rica 5%, Benelux 4%,
Italy 4% (1999)

Imports: $6.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: capital goods, crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, chemicals

Imports - partners: US 39%, Colon Free Zone 14%, Japan 8%, Ecuador 6%, Mexico 5% (1999)

Debt - external: $7.56 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $197.1 million (1995)

Currency: balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD)

Currency code: PAB; USD

Exchange rates: balboas per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Panama Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 396,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 17,000 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: domestic and international facilities well developed

domestic: NA

international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations: AM 101, FM 134, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 815,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 38 (including repeaters) (1998)

Televisions: 510,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .pa

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)

Internet users: 45,000 (2000)

Panama Transportation

Railways: total: 355 km

broad gauge: 76 km 1.524-m gauge

narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge

Highways: total: 11,592 km

paved: 4,079 km (including 30 km of expressways)

unpaved: 7,513 km (2000)

Waterways: 882 km

note: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama Canal

Pipelines: crude oil 130 km (2001)

Ports and harbors: Balboa, Cristobal, Coco Solo, Manzanillo (part of
Colon area), Vacamonte

Merchant marine: total: 4,711 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 111,515,984 GRT/169,655,363 DWT

ships by type: bulk 1,381, cargo 925, chemical tanker 314, combination bulk 71, combination ore/oil 18, container 525, liquefied gas 193, livestock carrier 5, multi-functional large-load carrier 12, passenger 41, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 544, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 297, roll on/roll off 106, short-sea passenger 36, specialized tanker 29, vehicle carrier 208

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag
of convenience: Argentina 11, Australia 1, Austria 1, Bermuda 21,
Belgium 4, The Bahamas 7, Brazil 2, Canada 4, China 154, Chile 4,
Cayman Islands 1, Colombia 6, Cuba 7, Cyprus 4, Denmark 12, Egypt 8,
Ireland 2, Equatorial Guinea 1, Finland 1, France 4, Germany 17,
Greece 248, Hong Kong 158, Honduras 2, Croatia 3, Indonesia 40,
India 11, Iran 1, Israel 3, Italy 7, Japan 1,007, Jordan 2, South
Korea 223, Latvia 4, Lithuania 1, Liberia 2, Monaco 43, Malta 1,
Mexico 5, Malaysia 6, Netherlands 6, Norway 36, Netherlands Antilles
1, Peru 5, Pakistan 1, Portugal 5, Philippines 10, Russia 6, Saudi
Arabia 6, Seychelles 2, South Africa 5, Singapore 73, Spain 35,
Sweden 4, Syria 11, Switzerland 53, UAE 11, Thailand 15, Taiwan 170,
UK 18, US 79, Venezuela 18, Samoa 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 107 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 42

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 13

under 914 m: 22 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 65

914 to 1,523 m: 13

under 914 m: 52 (2000 est.)

Panama Military

Military branches: an amendment to the Constitution abolished the
armed forces, but there are security forces (Panamanian Public
Forces or PPF includes the Panamanian National Police, National
Maritime Service, and National Air Service)

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 775,966 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 530,916 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $128 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.3% (FY99)

Military - note: on 10 February 1990, the government of then President ENDARA abolished Panama's military and reformed the security apparatus by creating the Panamanian Public Forces; in October 1994, Panama's Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the creation of a standing military force, but allowing the temporary establishment of special police units to counter acts of "external aggression"

Panama Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: major cocaine transshipment point and major drug money-laundering center; no recent signs of coca cultivation; monitoring of financial transactions is improving; official corruption remains a major problem; Panama was cited by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) an international organization that includes the US Government, for its lack of cooperation in the fight against international money laundering

@Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Introduction

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.

Papua New Guinea 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: 462,840 sq km

land: 452,860 sq km

water: 9,980 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 820 km

border countries: 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

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

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

Land use: arable land: 0.1%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 92.9%

other: 6% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Rim of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis

Environment - current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

Papua New Guinea People

Population: 5,049,055 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 38.7% (male 993,248; female 960,647)

15-64 years: 57.63% (male 1,507,064; female 1,402,666)

65 years and over: 3.67% (male 87,779; female 97,651) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.43% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 32.15 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 7.88 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 58.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.46 years

male: 61.39 years

female: 65.64 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.22% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,400 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 450 (1999 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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 72.2%

male: 81%

female: 62.7% (1995 est.)

Papua New Guinea Government

Country name: conventional long form: Independent State of Papua
New Guinea

conventional short form: Papua New Guinea

former: Territory of Papua and New Guinea

abbreviation: PNG

Government type: constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy

Capital: Port Moresby

Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Bougainville, Central,
Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf,
Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland,
Northern, Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands,
West New Britain

Independence: 16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

Constitution: 16 September 1975

Legal system: based on English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Silas ATOPARE (since 13 November 1997)

head of government: Prime Minister Mekere MORAUTA (since NA August 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Michael OGIO (since 3 November 2000)

cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister

elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the National Executive Council; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general for up to five years on the basis of majority support in National Parliament

Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament - sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly (109 seats, 89 elected from open electorates and 20 from provincial electorates; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 14-28 June 1997 (next to be held NA June 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - PPP 15%, Pangu Pati 14%, NA 14%, PDM 8%, PNC 6%, PAP 5%, UP 3%, NP 1%, PUP 1%, independents 33%; seats by party - PPP 16, Pangu Pati 15, NA 15, PDM 9, PNC 7, PAP 5, UP 3, NP 1, PUP 1, independents 37; note - association with political parties is very fluid

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the proposal of the National Executive Council after consultation with the minister responsible for justice; other judges are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission)

Political parties and leaders: National Alliance or NA [Michael
SOMARE]; National Party or NP [Michael MEL]; Papua New Guinea United
Party or Pangu Pati [Chris HAIVETA]; People's Action Party or PAP
[Ted DIRO]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Sir Mekere
MORAUTA]; People's National Congress or PNC [Simon KAUMI]; People's
Progress Party or PPP [Michael NALI]; People's Unity Party or PUP
[Alfred KAIABE]; United Party or UP [Rimbiuk PATO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACP, APEC, ARF (dialogue
partner), AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Susan JACOBS

chancery: 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone: (202) 745-3680