Papua New Guinea
Country in the SW Pacific, comprising the eastern part of the island
of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and part of the Solomon
Islands.
Government
The British monarch is the formal head of state, represented by a resident
governor general. The governor general appoints the prime minister
and cabinet, who are drawn from and responsible to the parliament.
The constitution from 1975 provides for a single-chamber legislature,
the National Parliament, consisting of 109 members elected by
universal suffrage for a five-year term, 89 representing local
single-member constituencies and 20 provincial constituencies.
Although Papua New Guinea is not a federal state, it has 20 provincial
governments with a fair degree of autonomy.
History
New Guinea has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years, probably by
people arriving from the E Indonesian islands. Agricultural economy
dates back some 6,000 years. In the Western Highlands, a permanent
system with drainage and garden tools was established 2,500 years
ago. The sweet potato, introduced 1,200 years ago, became the
staple crop of the highlands, the yam and taro being grown in
lowland areas. The first European to reach New Guinea was probably
the Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes in about 1526, who named
it `Ilhas dos Papuas´. It was visited by several Dutch traders
in the 17th century, and by the Englishman William Dampier 1700,
who named the island of New Britain. French explorer Louis Antoine
de Bougainville was in the area 1768. The Dutch East India Company
took control of the western half of the island, and in 1828 it
became part of the Dutch East Indies. In 1884 the southeast was
claimed by Britain, the northeast by Germany. The British part,
Papua, was transferred to Australia 1905. The German part was
transferred after World War I, when Australia was granted a League
of Nations mandate and then a trusteeship over the area.
Independence
Freed from Japanese occupation 1945, the two territories were jointly
administered by Australia and, after achieving internal self-government
as Papua New Guinea, became fully independent within the Commonwealth
1975.
The first prime minister after independence was Michael Somare,
leader of the Papua New Guinea Party (PP). Despite allegations
of incompetence, he held office until 1980, when Julius Chan,
leader of the People's Progress Party (PPP), succeeded him. Somare
returned to power 1982, but in 1985 he lost a no -confidence motion
in parliament and was replaced by Paias Wingti, leader of the
breakaway People's Democratic Movement, with former prime minister
Chan as his deputy. In 1987 Prime Minister Wingti returned to
power with a slender majority of three votes. He announced a more
independent foreign policy of good relations with the USSR, USA,
Japan, and China.
Foreign Relations
Papua New Guinea has maintained close relations with Australia since
independence, receiving substantial economic aid in return. Due
to its relative size, it has established itself as a leader among
the small island states of the South Pacific. It is a founder
member of the South Pacific Forum and a leader, together with
the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, of the Spearhead Group, set up
1988 to preserve Melanesian cultural traditions. Relations with
its western neighbour Indonesia have been strained due to the
latter's treatment of Melanesians in Irian Jaya, the western part
of New Guinea, where Indonesian troops have been fighting separatist
guerrillas. In addition, the Indonesian government's ` transmigration´
policy of resettling Javanese in Irian Jaya has created more than
10,000 Melanesian refugees in Papua New Guinea. A Treaty of Mutual
Respect, Friendship, and Cooperation was, however, signed by the
two countries 1986.
Natural Disaster
Droughts and frosts drastically reduced crop yields in much of the
country in 1997, raising the possibility of widespread famine.
According to the Papua New Guinea National Disaster and Emergency
Services, about 400,000 people were at risk of starvation. The
droughts and frosts are believed to be related to the `El Niņo´
effect, which was causing adverse weather conditions in much of
the Asia-Pacific region. In July 1998 a tidal wave crashed into
the northwest coast, destroying entire villages and leaving thousands
dead or missing.
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