Papua New Guinea achieved independence on 16 September
1975. The 1977 national elections confirmed Michael Somare as Prime Minister at
the head of a coalition led by the Pangu Party. However, his government lost a
vote of confidence in 1980 and was replaced by a new cabinet headed by Sir
Julius Chan as prime minister. The 1982 elections increased Pangu's plurality,
and parliament again chose Somare as prime minister.
In November 1985, the Somare government lost another
vote of no confidence, and the parliamentary majority elected Paias Wingti, at
the head of a five-party coalition, as prime minister. A coalition, headed by
Wingti, was victorious in very close elections in July 1987. In July 1988, a
no-confidence vote toppled Wingti and brought to power Rabbie Namaliu, who a
few weeks earlier had replaced Somare as leader of the Pangu Party.
Such reversals of fortune and a revolving-door
succession of prime ministers continue to characterize Papua New Guinea's
national politics. A plethora of political parties, coalition governments,
shifting party loyalties and motions of no confidence in the leadership all
lend an air of instability to political proceedings.
A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of
Bougainville claimed some 20.000 lives. The rebellion began in early 1989,
active hostilities ended with a truce in October 1997 and a permanent ceasefire
was signed in April 1998. A peace agreement between the Government and
ex-combatants was signed in August 2001. A regional peace-monitoring force and
a UN observer mission monitor the government and provincial leaders who have
established an interim administration and are working toward complete surrender
of weapons, the election of a provincial government and an eventual referendum
on independence.
Capital: Port Moresby
Government: monarchy
Area: 462.840
km²
Population: 5.670.544 (July 2006)
Currency: Kina (100 Toea)
Internet TLD: .pg
Dialling code: +675
For more stamps see:
Links
Papua New Guinea in Wikipedia.
Flag of Papua New Guinea in Flags of the World.
The website of the Philatelic
Service.
Country description from the BBC.
Country description from the CIA.
Official website of the government of Papua New
Guinea.
Stamp catalogue
International Year of the Child
date: 24
October 1979
designer: Graham Wade
printer: Johan Enschede & Zonen,
Haarlem
perforated: 14:13½
1 7 t mother
breast-feeding baby, IYC emblem, text "THE RIGHT TO AFFCTION AND
LOVE"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 377/SG
376)
2 15 t baby
being weighed, IYC emblem, text "THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE NUTRITION AND MEDICAL
CARE"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 378/SG
377)
3 30 t boy
playing with a dog and ball, IYC emblem, text "THE RIGHT TO PLAY"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 379/SG
378)
4 60 t girl
in class writing, IYC emblem, text "THE RIGHT TO A FREE EDUACTION"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 380/SG
379)
Membership of the Universal Postal Union
date: 23
January 1980
designer: Graham Wade
printer: Johan Enschede & Zonen,
Haarlem
perforated: 13½:14
5 7 t man
sorting letters, post office with van, post emblem, text "POST OFFICE
SERVICE"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 381/SG
380)
6 25 t war
scene, soldiers reading letters, army emblem, text "WARTIME MAIL"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 382/SG
381)
7 35 t UPU
emblem, officials on Port Moresby air field, officials in Rio de Janeiro (UPU
Congress 1979),
text "ADMISSION
TO UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION 1979"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 383/SG
382)
8 40 t German
post official, native with letter, German and British flags, text "EARLY
POSTAL SERVICES"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 384/SG
383)
date: 7
September 1983
designer: Graham Wade
printer: John Waddington Security Print, Leeds
perforated: 14½:14¼
9 10 t means
of communication and transport, text "WORLD / COMMUNICATION YEAR /
1983"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 463/SG
468)
10 25 t Japanese
boy writing letter, Papuan boy receiving letter, text "WORLD /
COMMUNICATION
YEAR / 1983"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 464/SG
469)
11 30 t native
woman on solar cell telephone calling man in New York, UN Headquarters, text
"WORLD /
COMMUNICATION YEAR /
1983"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 465/SG
470)
12 60 t boy
greeted by family, air plane, air mail bags, postmen, text "WORLD /
COMMUNICATION YEAR / 1983"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 466/SG
471)
International Letter Writing Week
date: 22
March 1989
designer: R. Bates
printer: Leigh-Mardon, Melbourne
perforated: 14¼
13 20 t boy
writing letter, text "International / letter writing week"
multicoloured, blue
frame
(cat. Michel 588/SG
589)
14 35 t girl
placing stamp on letter, text "International / letter writing week"
multicoloured, green
frame
(cat. Michel 589/SG
590)
15 60 t boy
mailing letter, text "International / letter writing week"
multicoloured, yellow
frame
(cat. Michel 590/SG
591)
16 70 t girl
reading letter, text "International / letter writing week"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 591SG
592)
21st UPU Congress, Seoul/Philakorea 1994, Seoul
date: 10
August 1994
designer: R. Bates
printer: Leigh-Mardon, Melbourne
perforated: 14
size souv. sh.: 106 x 70 mm
17 souvenir sheet,
exhibition emblem, text "Papua New Guinea / at PHILAKOREA 1994"
90 t Grizzled
Tree Kangaroo, exhibition emblem, text "Dendrolagus inustus"
K 1.20 Doria's
Tree Kangaroo, exhibition emblem, text "Dendrolagus dorianus"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel block
6/SG MS 729)
date: 29
April 1998
designer: B. Masiboda
printer: Southern Colour Print, Dunedin
perforated: 14½
remark: printed in pairs
18 65 t portrait,
clouds, text "Mother Teresa" and "Mother Teresa 1910-1997"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 821/SG
830)
19 K 1 portrait,
clouds, text "Mother Teresa" and "Mother Teresa 1910-1997"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 822/SG
831)
International Year of Mountains
date: 20
November 2002
designer: -
printer: -
perforated: 14
20 50 T mountain,
IOM emblem, text "Mt. Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 963)
21 K 1.25 mountain,
IOM emblem, text "Matterhorn, Switzerland"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 964)
22 K 1.45 mountain,
IOM emblem, text "Mount Fuji, Japan"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 965)
23 K 2.65 mountain,
IOM emblem, text "Massif des Aravis, France"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 966)
League of Nations Stamp catalogue
Mandated New Guinea Constabulary
date: 26
October 1978
designer: R. Bates
printer: Harrison & Sons, London
perforated: 15:14½
remark: part of a series of five stamps depicting
the history of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary; the
Mandated New Guinea
Constabulary functioned from 1921 to 1941 in the League of Nations Mandated
Territory of New
Guinea
1 15 police
officers, emblem, trees, text "Mandated New Guinea Constabulary" and
"1921 / 1941"
multicoloured
(cat. Michel 356/SG
355)
