Island Details: Papua New Guinea

Name

Papua New Guinea

Location

Pacific

Number of Islands (approx.)

1,000*

Island Details

eastern part of New Guinea + several groups of islands + single islands*

Type of Islands

continental, coral, volcanic

Surface Area (km²)

462,840.00*

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills*

Highest Elevation (m)

4,509.0*

Highest Elevation (name)

Mount Wilhelm*

Isolation Index

37*

Climate Risk Index Rank (1993-2012)

51*

Mean Sea Level Trends (mm/year)

-2.59*

Mean Sea Level (meta)

Time span: 1966-1997; Completeness: 83%; Station ID: 1164*

Population (total)

6,858,266*

Population Density (p/km²)

15.1*

Population Growth (annual %)

2.285*

GDP (per capita in current US$)

1,382*

Dominant Economic Sector

copper, gas, gold, oil*

HDI

0.458*

Administration

independent (constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm)*

Miscellaneous

Shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; Environment - current issues: rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought*