247 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
247 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
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Comparative area: slightly larger than California
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Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
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Coastline: 5,152 km
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Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
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Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast
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monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling
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foothills
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Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber,
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oil potential
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Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and
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pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 71%; other 28%
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Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast;
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some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes
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Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia
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PEOPLE
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Population: 3,913,186 (July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)
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Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 66 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 55 years male, 56 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Papua New Guinean(s); adjective--Papua New
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Guinean
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Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some
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Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian
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Religion: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%,
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Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%,
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Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects
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10%; indigenous beliefs 34%
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Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin
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English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
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Literacy: 52% (male 65%, female 38%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; agriculture
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54%, government 25%, industry and commerce 9%, services 8% (1980)
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Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20
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members
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
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Type: parliamentary democracy
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Capital: Port Moresby
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Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu, Eastern
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Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus, Milne
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Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons,
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Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain
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Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under
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Australian administration)
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Constitution: 16 September 1975
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Legal system: based on English common law
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National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
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Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime
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minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes
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referred to as the House of Assembly)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952),
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represented by Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18 January 1990);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July
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1988); Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO (since 29 April 1990);
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note--Deputy Prime Minister Ted DIRO has the title only since he has
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been suspended pending trial for alleged corruption charges
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Political parties:
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Papua New Guinea United Party (Pangu Party), Rabbie NAMALIU;
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People's Progress Party (PPP), Sir Julius CHAN;
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United Party (UP), Paul TORATO;
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Papua Party (PP), Galeva KWARARA;
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National Party (NP), Paul PORA;
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Melanesian Alliance (MA), Fr. John MOMIS
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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National Parliament--last held 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held
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4 July 1992);
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results--PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%,
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independents 42.9%, other 11.6%;
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seats--(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents
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22, other 14
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Communists: no significant strength
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Member of: ACP, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), C, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
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IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
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IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
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UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at
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Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036;
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telephone (202) 659-0856;
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US--Ambassador Robert W. FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port
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Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone
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675 211-455 or 594, 654
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Flag: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper
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triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the
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lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the
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Southern Cross constellation centered
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural
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resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and
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the high cost of developing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides a
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subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mining of numerous
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deposits, including copper and gold, accounts for about 60% of
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export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid
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under World Bank auspices help sustain the economy.
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GDP: $2.7 billion, per capita $725; real growth rate - 3.0% (1989
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est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1989)
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Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)
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Budget: revenues $867 million; expenditures $873 million,
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including capital expenditures of $119 million (1990 est.)
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Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--gold, copper ore, coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil,
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timber, lobster;
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partners--FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
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Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
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commodities--machinery and transport equipment, fuels, food,
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chemicals, consumer goods;
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partners--Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
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External debt: $2.76 billion (December 1990)
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 25% of
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GDP
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Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced,
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400 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood
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processing, wood chip production, gold, silver, copper, construction,
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tourism
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Agriculture: one-third of GDP; livelihood for 85% of population;
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fertile soils and favorable climate permits cultivating a wide variety of
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crops; cash crops--coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other
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products--tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork;
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net importer of food for urban centers
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $40.6
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
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Currency: kina (plural--kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
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Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1--1.0549 (January 1991), 1.0467
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(1990), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986),
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1.0000 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed
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stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
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Inland waterways: 10,940 km
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Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
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Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,711
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GRT/34,682 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination
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ore/oil, 2 bulk
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Civil air: about 15 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 567 total, 479 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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40 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: services are adequate and being improved;
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facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal
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radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services;
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submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985);
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stations--31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth
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station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (including Army, Navy,
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Air Force)
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 983,175; 546,824 fit for
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military service
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Defense expenditures: $42 million, 1.3% of GDP (1989 est.)
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