History of CLC in PNG:

CLC commenced in Papua New Guinea in 1959 with the opening of the bookshop in Boroko, Port Moresby. Just recently they have opened a bookshop in Alotau, Milne Bay. The team is under the leadership of Vere Babona and CLC Australia has overall responsibility for the work.

Christian Literature in PNG:

 Concerning Christian literature, there are Christian Bookshops in the major towns represented by Christian Books Melanesia (Brethren), Evangelical Brotherhood Church (Swiss Missions), The Bible Society and Christian BookWorld which has a shops in Boroko and Alotau.

Geography of PNG:

Papua New Guinea, with a population of approx 5,000,000 is the eastern half of New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, plus Bougainville in the Solomon Islands, also many smaller islands in the north and east which make up the nation of Papua New Guinea. The total area is 462,840 sq.km. The other half of the island (lying just north of Australia) is West Papua (Irian Jaya), part of Indonesia. PNG is a land of high mountains, dense forests, lowland swamps, coral islands, torrential rainfall, many rivers, and beautiful flora and fauna including the bird of paradise — the national emblem. The capital city is Port Moresby with a population of approx 380,000

Population of PNG:

Ethnically and linguistically, PNG is the world’s most complex nation, whose cultures have been moulded by geography, successive immigrations, sorcery, fear and warfare, and more recently by Christianity, colonialism, World War II and modernization. There are over 816 languages used in this country. The Literacy rate is 43% and the official language is English. The national languages are Tok Pisin (Melanesian — English Creole) which is used in centre and north, and increasingly in the south-west, and Motu in the south. There are Bibles translated into 8 languages, the New Testament translated into 150 languages.

Economy of PNG:

PNG is predominantly subsistence agricultural/fishing economy, supplemented by cash crops (tea, coffee and copra), an expanding mining industry and increasing local manufacture. Many problems (land compensation claims, rugged terrain, earthquakes, aggressive multinational corporations, droughts and war) complicate the wise exploitation and management of the land’s rich mineral, timber, fish, oil and gas resources. Recession in late 1990s due to reduced foreign investment and lower income from produce has created High urban unemployment. The income per person is $930 (3% of USA).