Located in the heart of South-east Asia, Thailand combines an ancient Buddhist culture with an emerging industrial economy. It is the only South-east Asian country never to have been colonised, and the monarchy dates back to the 14th century.
Asia Energy
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The largest of the Pacific Island nations, Papua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of New Guinea and hundreds of nearby islands. A mountainous and forested terrain has led to astonishing cultural and linguistic diversity, even as it inhibited development.
Mining has long been the mainstay of the PNG economy, representing more than two-thirds of the government’s revenues in 2011. Moreover, with its top commodities of gold and copper selling at near-record prices on global markets, the country is drawing increased attention from resource firms. Indeed, more than half of the country’s land area is covered by mining permits in the application process...
The energy sector in PNG, which has seen declining production for decades, is set to become a major driver of the economy as new investments come online. Gas is now the focus, with the $15.7bn ExxonMobil-led PNG LNG project due to start production in 2014. The megaproject has driven construction growth and set off a real estate boom in the nation’s capital thanks to an influx of foreign...
Although economic headwinds have thrown international markets off course, the Philippine economy has managed to stay on a relatively even keel. Local authorities note that while GDP growth slowed in 2011 relative to 2010 due to weak external demand and government underspending, household
Mining companies have flocked to these islands for years to take advantage of the country’s vast mineral resources. The Philippines ranks third in gold reserves, fourth in copper, and fifth in nickel worldwide. However, an upsurge in anti-mining and environmental awareness has contributed to a difficult regulatory environment, with some jurisdictions imposing local mining bans. Investment in the...