Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court
Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party, Teatao TEANNAKI; Christian Democratic Party, Teburoro TITO; New Movement Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka TENTOA; Maneaba Party, Roniti TEIWAKI; Maneaban Te Mauri, leader NA note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures
Member of: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, ITU, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US: Kiribati has no mission in the US
US diplomatic representation: the ambassador to Fiji is accredited toKiribati
Flag: the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
@Kiribati:Economy
Overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP declined about 5% in 1987, as the fish catch fell sharply to only one-fourth the level of 1986 and copra production was hampered by repeated rains. Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real GDP growing by 10%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in copra production and a good fish catch. GDP then fell by 2.2% in 1989 and by 2.9% in 1990, but has risen by about 3% annually in 1991-93. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, amounting to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $62 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate: 2.9% (1993 est.)
National product per capita: $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.5% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Budget:revenues: $29.6 millionexpenditures: $32.8 million, including capital expenditures of $14million (1993 est.)
Exports: $4.2 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: copra 50%, seaweed 16%, fish 15% partners: Denmark, Fiji, US
Imports: $33.1 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel partners: Australia 40%, Japan 18%, Fiji 17%, NZ 6%, US 4% (1991)
External debt: $2 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.7% (1992 est.); accounts for less than 4% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 5,000 kW production: 13 million kWh consumption per capita: 131 kWh (1993)
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute about 65% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops - taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateralcommitments (1970-89), $273 million
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3058 (January 1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993), 1.3600 (1992), 1.2835 (1991), 1.2799 (1990)
Fiscal year: NA
@Kiribati:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 640 km paved: NA unpaved: NA
Inland waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in LineIslands
Ports: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton
Merchant marine:total: 1 passenger-cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,291GRT/1,295 DWT
Airports:total: 21with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1with paved runways under 914 m: 5with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11
@Kiribati:Communications
Telephone system: 1,400 telephones local: NA intercity: NA international: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 0televisions: NA
@Kiribati:Defense Forces
Branches: Police Force (carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; there are small police posts on all islands); no military force is maintained
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
@Korea, North:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and Russia
Map references: Asia
Area:total area: 120,540 sq kmland area: 120,410 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries: total 1,673 km, China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km,Russia 19 km
Coastline: 2,495 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmmilitary boundary line: 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusiveeconomic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels andaircraft without permission are banned
International disputes: short section of boundary with China isindefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea
Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys;coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Natural resources: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite,iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 18% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 74% other: 7%
Irrigated land: 14,000 sq km (1989)
Environment:current issues: localized air pollution attributable to inadequateindustrial controls; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potablewaternatural hazards: late spring droughts often followed by severeflooding; occasional typhoons during the early fallinternational agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-EnvironmentalProtocol, Law of the Sea
Note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated
@Korea, North:People
Population: 23,486,550 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 30% (female 3,402,672; male 3,540,313)15-64 years: 66% (female 7,840,465; male 7,741,155)65 years and over: 4% (female 622,250; male 339,695) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.78% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 23.31 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.47 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 26.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.05 years male: 66.96 years female: 73.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Ethnic divisions: racially homogeneous
Religions: Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncreticChondogyonote: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent;government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion ofreligious freedom
Languages: Korean
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write Korean (1990 est.)total population: 99%male: 99%female: 99%
Labor force: 9.615 million by occupation: agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64% note: shortage of skilled and unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)
@Korea, North:Government
Names:conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Koreaconventional short form: North Korealocal long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguklocal short form: nonenote: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer totheir country
Abbreviation: DPRK
Digraph: KN
Type: Communist state; Stalinist dictatorship
Capital: P'yongyang
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Chagang-do (ChagangProvince), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo(South Hamgyong Province), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province),Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City),Kangwon-do (Kangwon Province), Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City),P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (SouthP'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (P'yongyang City), Yanggang-do(Yanggang Province)
Independence: 9 September 1948 note: 15 August 1945, date of independence from the Japanese and celebrated in North Korea as National Liberation Day
National holiday: DPRK Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)
Constitution: adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992
Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: KIM Chong-il, is the son of and designated successorto former President KIM Il-song (who died 8 July 1994); formalsuccession has not yet taken place (January 1995); election last held24 May 1990 (next to be held by NA); results - President KIM Il-songwas reelected without oppositionhead of government: Premier KANG Song-san (since December 1992)cabinet: State Administration Council; appointed by the SupremePeople's Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui): elections last held on 7-9 April 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (687 total) the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats
Judicial branch: Central Court
Political parties and leaders: major party - Korean Workers' Party(KWP), KIM Chong-il, secretary, Central Committee; Korean SocialDemocratic Party, KIM Pyong-sik, chairman; Chondoist Chongu Party, YUMi-yong, chairwoman
Member of: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, IFAD, IFRCS, IMO, INTELSAT(nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: none
US diplomatic representation: none
Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star
@Korea, North:Economy
Overview: More than 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually tight even for a Communist country because of the small size and homogeneity of the society and the strict rule of KIM Il-song in the past and now his son, KIM Chong-il. Economic growth during the period 1984-88 averaged 2%-3%, but output declined by 3%-5% annually during 1989-92 because of systemic problems and disruptions in socialist-style economic relations with the former USSR and China. In 1992, output dropped sharply, by perhaps 7%-9%, as the economy felt the cumulative effect of the reduction in outside support. The leadership insisted on maintaining its high level of military outlays from a shrinking economic pie. Moreover, a serious drawdown in inventories and critical shortages in the energy sector have led to increasing interruptions in industrial production. Abundant mineral resources and hydropower have formed the basis of industrial development since World War II. Output of the extractive industries includes coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. Manufacturing is centered on heavy industry, including military industry, with light industry lagging far behind. Despite the use of improved seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers, North Korea has not yet become self-sufficient in food production. Indeed, a shortage of arable lands, several years of poor harvests, and a cumbersome distribution system have resulted in chronic food shortages. The collapse of Communism in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in 1989-91 has disrupted important technological links. North Korea remains far behind South Korea in economic development and living standards. GDP is stagnant.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $21.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 0% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $920 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:revenues: $19.3 billionexpenditures: $19.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(1992 est.)
Exports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)commodities: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural andfishery products, manufactures (including armaments)partners: China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong
Imports: $1.64 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)commodities: petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment,consumer goodspartners: China, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore
External debt: $8 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate -7% to -9% (1992 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 9,500,000 kW production: 50 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,053 kWh (1993)
Industries: machine building, military products, electric power, chemicals, mining, metallurgy, textiles, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GDP and 36% of work force; principal crops - rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; livestock and livestock products - cattle, hogs, pork, eggs; not self-sufficient in grain
Economic aid:recipient: Communist countries, $1.4 billion a year in the 1980s, butvery little now
Currency: 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1 - 2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Korea, North:Transportation
Railroads:total: 4,915 kmstandard gauge: 4,250 km 1.435-m gauge (3,397 km electrified; 159 kmdouble track)narrow gauge: 665 km 0.762-m gauge (1989)
Highways: total: 30,000 km paved: 1,861 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, earth 28,139 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
Pipelines: crude oil 37 km
Ports: Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin,Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
Merchant marine:total: 87 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 727,631 GRT/1,149,291 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 70, combination bulk 1, oil tanker 3, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1 note: North Korea owns an additional 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling approximately 32,405 DWT that operate under Honduran registry
Airports:total: 49with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1with paved runways under 914 m: 2with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 5with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 12with unpaved runways under 914 m: 6
@Korea, North:Communications
Telephone system: telephone system is believed to be available only togovernment officials and not to private individualslocal: NAintercity: NAinternational: 1 earth station near P'yongyang, uses an Indian OceanINTELSAT satellite; other international connections through Moscow andBeijing
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 18, FM 0, shortwave 0radios: 3.5 million
Television:broadcast stations: 11televisions: 350,000 (1989)
@Korea, North:Defense Forces
Branches: Korean People's Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), CivilSecurity Forces
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 6,753,400; males fit formilitary service 4,094,854; males reach military age (18) annually193,480 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - about $5 billion, 20%-25% of GDP (1991 est.); note - the officially announced but suspect figure is $2.2 billion (1994), about 12% of total spending
________________________________________________________________________
@Korea, South:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, south of North Korea
Map references: Asia
Area:total area: 98,480 sq kmland area: 98,190 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries: total 238 km, North Korea 238 km
Coastline: 2,413 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
International disputes: Demarcation Line with North Korea; LiancourtRocks claimed by Japan
Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west andsouth
Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead,hydropower
Land use: arable land: 21% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 67% other: 10%
Irrigated land: 13,530 sq km (1989)
Environment:current issues: air pollution in large cities; water pollution fromthe discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; driftnet fishingnatural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods;earthquakes in southwestinternational agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, ShipPollution, Tropical Timber 83, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
@Korea, South:People
Population: 45,553,882 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 24% (female 5,280,998; male 5,640,789)15-64 years: 71% (female 15,877,182; male 16,291,183)65 years and over: 5% (female 1,554,512; male 909,218) (July 1995est.)
Population growth rate: 1.04% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.63 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.18 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.89 years male: 67.69 years female: 74.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Ethnic divisions: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions: Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%
Languages: Korean, English widely taught in high school
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)total population: 96%male: 99%female: 94%
Labor force: 20 million by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)
@Korea, South:Government
Names:conventional long form: Republic of Koreaconventional short form: South Korealocal long form: Taehan-min'guklocal short form: nonenote: the South Koreans generally use the term "Hanguk" to refer totheir country
Abbreviation: ROK
Digraph: KS
Type: republic
Capital: Seoul
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do,Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo,Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do,Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*,Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*
Independence: 15 August 1948
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
Constitution: 25 February 1988
Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993);election last held on 18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December1997); results - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%,CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%head of government: Prime Minister YI Hong-ku (since 17 December1994); Deputy Prime Minister HONG Chae-yong (since 4 October 1994) andDeputy Prime Minister KIM Tok (since 23 December 1994)cabinet: State Council; appointed by the president on the primeminister's recommendation
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Kukhoe): elections last held on 24 March 1992; results - DLP 38.5%, DP 29.2%, Unification National Party (UNP) 17.3% (name later changed to UPP), other 15%; seats - (299 total) DLP 149, DP 97, UNP 31, other 22; the distribution of seats as of January 1994 was DLP 172, DP 96, UPP 11, other 20 note: the change in the distribution of seats reflects the fluidity of the current situation where party members are constantly switching from one party to another
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:majority party: Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), KIM Yong-sam,presidentopposition: Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, executive chairman;United People's Party (UPP), KIM Tong-kil, chairman; several smallerpartiesnote: the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party(DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New DemocraticRepublican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 1990
Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council ofChurches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federationof Student Associations; National Federation of Farmers' Associations;National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean Industries; KoreanTraders Association
Member of: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT,IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer),UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador PAK Kun-u chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
US diplomatic representation:chief of mission: Ambassador James T. LANEYembassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoulmailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, Seoul; APO AP96205-0001telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845consulate(s): Pusan
Flag: white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center;there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book ofChanges) in each corner of the white field
@Korea, South:Economy
Overview: The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. Real GDP increased more than 10% annually between 1986 and 1991. This growth ultimately led to an overheated situation characterized by a tight labor market, strong inflationary pressures, and a rapidly rising current account deficit. As a result, in 1992, economic policy focused on slowing the growth rate of inflation and reducing the deficit. Annual growth slowed to 5%, still above the rate in most other countries of the world, and recovered to 6.3% in 1993. The economy expanded by 8.3% in 1994, driven by booming exports.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $508.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 8.3% (1994)
National product per capita: $11,270 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 2% (November 1994)
Budget:revenues: $63 billionexpenditures: $63 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995est.)
Exports: $96.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel,automobiles, ships, textiles, clothing, footwear, fishpartners: US 26%, Japan 17%, EU 14%
Imports: $102.3 billion (c.i.f., 1994)commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil,steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grainspartners: Japan 26%, US 24%, EU 15%
External debt: $44.1 billion (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 12.1% (1994 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP
Electricity: capacity: 26,940,000 kW production: 137 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,847 kWh (1993)
Industries: electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry); principal crops - rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products - cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in world
Economic aid:recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion;non-US countries (1970-89), $3 billion
Currency: 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)
Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 790.48 (January 1995), 803.44 (1994), 802.67 (1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76 (1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Korea, South:Transportation
Railroads:total: 6,763 kmstandard gauge: 6,716 km 1.435-meter gauge (525 km electrified; 847 kmdouble track)narrow gauge: 47 km 0.610-meter gauge
Highways:total: 63,200 kmpaved: expressways 1,550 kmunpaved: NAundifferentiated: national highway 12,190 km; provincial, local roads49,460 km (1991)
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Pipelines: petroleum products 455 km
Ports: Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, Pohang, Pusan, Ulsan,Yosu
Merchant marine:total: 412 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,129,796 GRT/9,985,197DWTships by type: bulk 123, cargo 125, chemical tanker 17, combinationbulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 61, liquefied gas tanker 13,multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 51, refrigerated cargo9, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 9
Airports:total: 114with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14with paved runways under 914 m: 63with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@Korea, South:Communications
Telephone system: 13.3 million telephones; excellent domestic andinternational serviceslocal: NAintercity: NAinternational: 3 INTELSAT (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earthstations
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 256 (1 kW or greater 57)televisions: NA
@Korea, South:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National MaritimePolice (Coast Guard)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 13,580,832; males fit formilitary service 8,701,742; males reach military age (18) annually405,290 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $14 billion, 3.3% ofGNP (1995 est.)
________________________________________________________________________
@Kuwait:Geography
Location: Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq andSaudi Arabia
Map references: Middle East
Area:total area: 17,820 sq kmland area: 17,820 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total 464 km, Iraq 242 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline: 499 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: in November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions 687 (1991), 773 (1993), and 883 (1993); this formally ends earlier claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah islands; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate: dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain: flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 8% forest and woodland: 0% other: 92%
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; some of world'slargest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much ofthe water; air and water pollution; desertificationnatural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April,they bring inordinate amounts of rain which can damage roads andhouses; sandstorms and duststorms occur throughout the year, but aremost common between March and Augustinternational agreements: party to - Climate Change, EnvironmentalModification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,Endangered Species, Marine Dumping
Note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
@Kuwait:People
Population: 1,817,397 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 34% (female 302,908; male 319,659)15-64 years: 64% (female 467,163; male 697,849)65 years and over: 2% (female 13,476; male 16,342) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 7.46% (1995 est.) note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of nationals and expatriates
Birth rate: 21.07 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 2.2 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 55.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.64 years male: 73.33 years female: 78.06 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kuwaiti(s) adjective: Kuwaiti
Ethnic divisions: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian4%, other 7%
Religions: Muslim 85% (Shi'a 30%, Sunni 45%, other 10%), Christian,Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1985)total population: 74%male: 78%female: 69%
Labor force: 566,000 (1986) by occupation: services 45.0%, construction 20.0%, trade 12.0%, manufacturing 8.6%, finance and real estate 2.6%, agriculture 1.9%, power and water 1.7%, mining and quarrying 1.4% note: 70% of labor force non-Kuwaiti (1986)
@Kuwait:Government
Names:conventional long form: State of Kuwaitconventional short form: Kuwaitlocal long form: Dawlat al Kuwaytlocal short form: Al Kuwayt
Digraph: KU
Type: nominal constitutional monarchy
Capital: Kuwait
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al 'Ahmadi, Al Jahrah, Al Kuwayt, Hawalli, Al Farwaniyah
Independence: 19 June 1961 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 25 February (1948)
Constitution: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Legal system: civil law system with Islamic law significant inpersonal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: adult males who resided in Kuwait before 1920 and their maledescendants at age 21note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996,naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification buthave been naturalized for thirty years will be eligible to vote
Executive branch:chief of state: Amir Shaykh JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31December 1977)head of government: Prime Minister and Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdallahal-Salim Al Sabah (since 8 February 1978); Deputy Prime Minister SABAHal-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 17 October 1992)cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the Prime Minister andapproved by the Amir
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-umma): dissolved 3 July 1986; new elections were held on 5 October 1992 with a second election in the 14th and 16th constituencies held February 1993
Judicial branch: High Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders: none
Other political or pressure groups: small, clandestine leftist andShi'a fundamentalist groups are active; several groups critical ofgovernment policies are publicly active
Member of: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO,G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:chief of mission: Ambassador MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim Al SABAHchancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517
US diplomatic representation:chief of mission: Ambassador Ryan C. CROCKERembassy: Bneid al-Gar (opposite the Kuwait International Hotel),Kuwait Citymailing address: P.O. Box 77 SAFAT, 13001 SAFAT, Kuwait; Unit 69000,Kuwait; APO AE 09880-9000telephone: [965] 2424151 through 2424159FAX: [965] 2442855
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red witha black trapezoid based on the hoist side
@Kuwait:Economy
Overview: Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Kuwait has rebuilt its war-ravaged petroleum sector; its crude oil production reached at least 2.0 million barrels per day by the end of 1993. The government ran a sizable fiscal deficit in 1993. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 90% of export and government revenues. Kuwait lacks water and has practically no arable land, thus preventing development of agriculture. With the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Because of its high per capita income, comparable with Western European incomes, Kuwait provides its citizens with extensive health, educational, and retirement benefits. Per capita military expenditures are among the highest in the world. The economy improved moderately in 1994, with the growth in industry and finance, and should see further gains in 1995, especially if oil prices go up. The World Bank has urged Kuwait to push ahead with privatization, including in the oil industry, but the government will move slowly on this front.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $30.7 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 9.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $16,900 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1993)
Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1992 est.)
Budget:revenues: $9 billionexpenditures: $13 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA(FY92/93)
Exports: $10.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993)commodities: oilpartners: France 16%, Italy 15%, Japan 12%, UK 11%
Imports: $6.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993)commodities: food, construction materials, vehicles and parts,clothingpartners: US 35%, Japan 12%, UK 9%, Canada 9%
External debt: $7.2 billion (December 1989 est.) note: external debt has grown substantially in 1991 and 1992 to pay for restoration of war damage
Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for NA% of GDP
Electricity: capacity: 7,070,000 kW production: 11 billion kWh consumption per capita: 6,007 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing,building materials, salt, construction
Agriculture: practically none; extensive fishing in territorial watersand Indian Ocean
Economic aid:donor: pledged bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89),$18.3 billion
Currency: 1 Kuwaiti dinar (KD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Kuwaiti dinars (KD) per US$1 - 0.2991 (January 1995), 0.2976 (1994), 0.3017 (1993), 0.2934 (1992), 0.2843 (1991), 0.2915 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Kuwait:Transportation
Railroads: 0 km
Highways: total: 4,270 km paved: bituminous 3,370 km unpaved: gravel, sand, earth 900 km (est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 877 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 165km
Ports: Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' alAhmadi, Mina' Su'ud
Merchant marine:total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,202,558 GRT/3,618,527DWTships by type: cargo 9, container 3, liquefied gas tanker 7, livestockcarrier 4, oil tanker 24
Airports:total: 8with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1with paved runways under 914 m: 2with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
@Kuwait:Communications
Telephone system: NA telephones; civil network suffered extensivedamage as a result of the Gulf war and reconstruction is still underway with some restored international and domestic capabilitieslocal: NAintercity: NAinternational: earth stations destroyed during Gulf war and notrebuilt yet; temporary mobile satellite antennae provide internationaltelecommunications; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to SaudiArabia; service to Iraq is nonoperational
Radio:broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0radios: NA
Television:broadcast stations: 3televisions: NA
@Kuwait:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police Force, National Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 610,205; males fit for military service 363,735; males reach military age (18) annually 16,170 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.4 billion, 13.3% of GDP (1995)
________________________________________________________________________
@Kyrgyzstan:Geography
Location: Central Asia, west of China
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States - Central AsianStates
Area:total area: 198,500 sq kmland area: 191,300 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries: total 3,878 km, China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km,Tajikistan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: territorial dispute with Tajikistan onsouthwestern boundary in Isfara Valley area
Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical insouthwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone
Terrain: peaks of Tien Shan rise to 7,000 meters, and associatedvalleys and basins encompass entire nation
Natural resources: abundant hydroelectric potential; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc
Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: NEGL% meadows and pastures: 42% forest and woodland: 0% other: 51%
Irrigated land: 10,320 sq km (1990)
Environment:current issues: water pollution; many people get their water directlyfrom contaminated streams and wells, as a result, water-borne diseasesare prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigationpracticesnatural hazards: NAinternational agreements: NA
Note: landlocked
@Kyrgyzstan:People
Population: 4,769,877 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 37% (female 868,108; male 888,479)15-64 years: 57% (female 1,377,221; male 1,345,990)65 years and over: 6% (female 185,807; male 104,272) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.5% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 25.97 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 7.32 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 45.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.13 years male: 63.92 years female: 72.56 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.31 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kyrgyz(s) adjective: Kyrgyz
Ethnic divisions: Kirghiz 52.4%, Russian 21.5%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German 2.4%, other 8.3%
Religions: Muslim 70%, Russian Orthodox NA%
Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz) - official language, Russian widely used
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989)total population: 97%male: 99%female: 96%
Labor force: 1.836 million by occupation: agriculture and forestry 38%, industry and construction 21%, other 41% (1990)
@Kyrgyzstan:Government
Names:conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republicconventional short form: Kyrgyzstanlocal long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasylocal short form: noneformer: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: KG
Type: republic
Capital: Bishkek
Administrative divisions: 6 oblasttar (singular - oblast) and 1 city*(singular - shaar); Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek),Jalal-Abad Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty,Ysyk-Kol Oblasty (Karakol)note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when namediffers from oblast name
Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: National Day, 2 December; Independence Day, 31August (1991)
Constitution: adopted 5 May 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President Askar AKAYEV (since 28 October 1990);election last held 12 October 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results- Askar AKAYEV won in uncontested election with 95% of vote and with90% of electorate voting; note - president elected by Supreme Soviet28 October 1990, then by popular vote 12 October 1991; AKAYEV won 96%of the vote in a referendum on his status as president on 30 January1994head of government: Prime Minister Apas DJUMAGULOV (since NA December1993)cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers; subordinate to the president
Legislative branch: bicameralAssembly of Legislatures: elections last held 5 February 1995 (next tobe held no later than NA 1998); 35-member house to which 19 membershave been elected so far; next round of runoffs scheduled for 19 April1995Assembly of Representatives: elections last held 5 February 1995 (nextto be held no later than NA 1998); 70-member house to which 60 membershave been elected so far; next round of runoffs scheduled for 19 April1995note: the legislature became bicameral for the 5 February 1995elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party (SDP), IshenbaiKADYRBEKOV, chairman; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan (DMK), KazatAKHMATOV, chairman; National Unity, German KUZNETSOV; Communist Partyof Kyrgyzstan (PCK), Sherali SYDYKOV, chairman; Democratic Movement ofFree Kyrgyzstan (ErK), Topchubek TURGUNALIYEV, chairman; RepublicanPopular Party of Kyrgyzstan; Agrarian Party of Kyrgyzstan, A. ALIYEV
Other political or pressure groups: National Unity DemocraticMovement; Peasant Party; Council of Free Trade Unions; Union ofEntrepreneurs; Agrarian Party
Member of: AsDB, CIS, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE,PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Almas CHUKINchancery: (temporary) Suite 705, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC20005telephone: [1] (202) 347-3732, 3733, 3718FAX: [1] (202) 347-3718
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Eileen A. MALLOY embassy: Erkindik Prospekt #66, Bishkek 720002 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (3312) 22-29-20, 22-27-77, 22-26-31, 22-24-73 FAX: [7] (3312) 22-35-51
Flag: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays representing the 40 Kirghiz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized representation of the roof of the traditional Kirghiz yurt
@Kyrgyzstan:Economy
Overview: Kyrgyzstan is one of the smallest and poorest states of the former Soviet Union. Its economy is heavily agricultural, growing cotton and tobacco on irrigated land in the south and grain in the foothills of the north and raising sheep and goats on mountain pastures. Its small and obsolescent industrial sector, concentrated around Bishkek, has traditionally relied on Russia and other CIS countries for customers and industrial inputs, including most of its fuel. Since 1990, the economy has contracted by almost 50% as subsidies from Moscow vanished and trade links with other former Soviet republics eroded. At the same time, the Kyrgyz government stuck to tight monetary and fiscal policies in 1994 that succeeded in reducing inflation from 23% per month in 1993 to 5.4% per month in 1994. Moreover, Kyrgyzstan has been the most successful of the Central Asian states in reducing state controls over the economy and privatizing state industries. Nevertheless, restructuring proved to be a slow and painful process in 1994 despite relatively large flows of foreign aid and continued progress on economic reform. The decline in output in 1995 may be much smaller, perhaps 5%, compared with an estimated 24% in 1994.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $8.4 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: -24% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $1,790 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% per month (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0.7% includes officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of unregistered unemployed and underemployed workers (1994)
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $116 million to countries outside the FSU (1994) commodities: wool, chemicals, cotton, ferrous and nonferrous metals, shoes, machinery, tobacco partners: Russia 70%, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and others
Imports: $92.4 million from countries outside the FSU (1994) commodities: grain, lumber, industrial products, ferrous metals, fuel, machinery, textiles, footwear partners: other CIS republics
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate -24% (1994 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 3,660,000 kW production: 12.7 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,700 kWh (1994)
Industries: small machinery, textiles, food-processing industries, cement, shoes, sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, and rare earth metals
Agriculture: wool, tobacco, cotton, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle), vegetables, meat, grapes, fruits and berries, eggs, milk, potatoes
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe and North America from Southwest Asia
Economic aid:recipient: IMF aid commitments were $80 million in 1993 and $400million in 1994
Currency: introduced national currency, the som (10 May 1993)
Exchange rates: soms per US$1 - 10.6 (yearend 1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Kyrgyzstan:Transportation
Railroads:total: 370 km in common carrier service; does not include industriallinesbroad gauge: 370 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways:total: 30,300 kmpaved and graveled: 22,600 kmunpaved: earth 7,700 km (1990)
Pipelines: natural gas 200 km
Ports: Ysyk-Kol (Rybach'ye)
Airports:total: 54with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9with paved runways under 914 m: 1with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4with unpaved runways under 914 m: 32
@Kyrgyzstan:Communications
Telephone system: 342,000 telephones (1991); 76 telephones/1,000persons (December 1991); poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfiedapplications for household telephoneslocal: NAintercity: principally by microwave radio relayinternational: connections with other CIS countries by landline ormicrowave and with other countries by leased connections with Moscowinternational gateway switch and by satellite; 1 GORIZONT and 1INTELSAT satellite link through Ankara to 200 other countries
Radio:broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NAradios: 825,000 (radio receiver systems with multiple speakers forprogram diffusion 748,000)
Television:broadcast stations: NA; note - receives Turkish broadcaststelevisions: 875,000
@Kyrgyzstan:Defense Forces
Branches: National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops), Civil Defense
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,154,683; males fit for military service 934,167; males reach military age (18) annually 44,526 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
________________________________________________________________________
@Laos:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand
Map references: Southeast Asia
Area:total area: 236,800 sq kmland area: 230,800 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Utah
Land boundaries: total 5,083 km, Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
International disputes: boundary dispute with Thailand
Climate: tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season(December to April)
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus
Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 3% forest and woodland: 58% other: 35%
Irrigated land: 1,554 sq km (1992 est.)
Environment:current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of thepopulation does not have access to potable waternatural hazards: floods, droughts, and blightinternational agreements: party to - Climate Change, EnvironmentalModification, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Law of theSea
Note: landlocked
@Laos:People
Population: 4,837,237 (July 1995 est.)