Total area: 461,690 km2
land area: 451,710 km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than California

Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia

Coastline: 5,152 km

Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic 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

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

Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 71%; other 28%

Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes

Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia

NOTE: The information regarding Papua New Guinea on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Papua New Guinea Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Papua New Guinea Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.