Country Profile
From The Report: Papua New Guinea 2015
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Culturally one of the world’s most diverse countries, Papua New Guinea is widely considered to be among the last frontiers for tourism and business opportunities. The island of New Guinea shelters 6-8% of global species, hosts one-sixth of known languages, and rivals Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo in terms of biodiversity. The country is also an important exporter of natural resources (gold, copper and oil) and agricultural products. Cash crops include coffee, oil palm, cocoa, coconut and, to a lesser extent, tea and rubber. PNG has steep mountains, tropical rainforests and hidden valleys, and the political, social and economic terrain currently faced by the country is similarly demanding in its nature.

This chapter contains an interview with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Cultural diversity and forward thinking steer PNG to a bright future
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Culturally one of the world’s most diverse countries, Papua New Guinea is widely considered to be among the last frontiers for tourism and business opportunities. The island of New Guinea shelters 6-8% of global species, hosts one-sixth of known languages, and rivals Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo in terms of biodiversity, according to the Worldwide Wildlife Foundation (WWF). PNG comprises the eastern half of the largest tropical island on earth, along with hundreds of smaller adjacent islands, and its land area is less than 0.5% of the world’s total. The country is also an important exporter of natural resources (gold, copper and oil)…

Overview

PNG’s new gas project poised to boost GDP
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Papua New Guinea has steep mountains, tropical rainforests and hidden valleys, and the political, social and economic terrain currently faced by the country is similarly demanding in its nature. With over 800 indigenous languages and numerous ethnic groups, PNG is in many ways still being forged, 40 years after securing full independence from Australia. Of its population of approximately 7.3m, only 15% are in urban areas, with many living in regions that are difficult to access and used to a high degree of autonomy. At the same time, economic activity has long been resource-based, leaving incomes often at the mercy of global commodity prices.…

Interview

Peter O’Neill, Prime Minister, Papua New Guinea
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Interview:Peter O’Neill In 2015 Papua New Guinea will celebrate 40 years of independence. How has the country changed during this period of time? Is it better off? PETER O’NEILL: Forty years is a relatively short period of time for any nation to assess its own achievements, but I think that PNG has come a long way. Let us not forget that up until the 1930s, the majority of our people had no contact with the outside world. From being a very traditional society with tribal obligations,…