Inflation rate (consumer prices):0.5% (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $55.52 millionexpenditures: $59.71 million; including capital expenditures of $NA(FY05)
Agriculture - products:copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish
Industries:fishing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:0.7% (1991 est.)
Electricity - production:12 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:11.16 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:200 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:$-19.87 million
Exports:$17 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish
Exports - partners:US 22.8%, Belgium 21.5%, Japan 14.3%, Samoa 7.8%, Australia 7.5%,Malaysia 6.7%, Taiwan 5.6%, Denmark 4.6% (2005)
Imports:$62 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufacturedgoods, fuel
Imports - partners:Australia 33%, Fiji 27.1%, Japan 18.1%, NZ 6.9% (2005)
Debt - external:$10 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$16.7 million largely from UK and Japan (2004)
Currency (code):Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:AUD
Exchange rates:Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004),1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)
Fiscal year:NA
Communications Kiribati
Telephones - main lines in use:4,500 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:600 (2004)
Telephone system:general assessment: generally good quality national andinternational servicedomestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati(Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHFradiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to thePacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which shouldimprove telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat(Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)
Radios:17,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:1 (not reported to be active) (2002)
Televisions:1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.ki
Internet hosts:42 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:2,000 (2004)
Transportation Kiribati
Airports: 19 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Roadways:total: 670 km (1999)
Waterways:5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2003)
Merchant marine:total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,749 GRT/3,911 DWTby type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Betio
Military Kiribati
Military branches:no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out lawenforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police postsare on all islands)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 21,938 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 14,231 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 1,128 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:NA
Military - note:Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance isprovided by Australia and NZ
Transnational Issues Kiribati
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Korea, North
Introduction Korea, North
Background: An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il-so'ng, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. In December 2002, following revelations that the DPRK was pursuing a nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a 1994 agreement with the US to freeze and ultimately dismantle its existing plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January 2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium) and was developing a "nuclear deterrent." Since August 2003, North Korea has participated in the Six-Party Talks with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US designed to resolve the stalemate over its nuclear programs. The fourth round of Six-Party Talks were held in Beijing during July-September 2005. All parties agreed to a Joint Statement of Principles in which, among other things, the six parties unanimously reaffirmed the goal of verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner. In the Joint Statement, the DPRK committed to "abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and returning, at an early date, to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA safeguards." The Joint Statement also commits the US and other parties to certain actions as the DPRK denuclearizes. The US offered a security assurance, specifying that it had no nuclear weapons on ROK territory and no intention to attack or invade the DPRK with nuclear or other weapons. The US and DPRK will take steps to normalize relations, subject to the DPRK's implementing its denuclearization pledge and resolving other longstanding concerns. While the Joint Statement provides a vision of the end-point of the Six-Party process, much work lies ahead to implement the elements of the agreement.
Geography Korea, North
Location:Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering theKorea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Geographic coordinates:40 00 N, 127 00 E
Map references:Asia
Area:total: 120,540 sq kmland: 120,410 sq kmwater: 130 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries: total: 1,673 km border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
Coastline:2,495 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmnote: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and theexclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreignvessels and aircraft without permission are banned
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
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 mhighest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
Natural resources:coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper,gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 22.4% permanent crops: 1.66% other: 75.94% (2005)
Irrigated land:14,600 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasionaltyphoons during the early fall
Environment - current issues:water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterbornedisease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
Environment - international agreements:party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollutionsigned, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia;mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
People Korea, North
Population:23,113,019 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 23.8% (male 2,788,944/female 2,708,331)15-64 years: 68% (male 7,762,442/female 7,955,522)65 years and over: 8.2% (male 667,792/female 1,229,988) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 32 yearsmale: 30.7 yearsfemale: 33.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.84% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:15.54 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:7.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 23.29 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 21.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 71.65 yearsmale: 68.92 yearsfemale: 74.51 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality:noun: Korean(s)adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a fewethnic Japanese
Religions:traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian andsyncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent;government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion ofreligious freedom
Languages:Korean
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99%male: 99%female: 99%
Government Korea, North
Country name:conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Koreaconventional short form: North Korealocal long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguklocal short form: Chosonabbreviation: DPRK
Government type:Communist state one-man dictatorship
Capital:name: Pyongyanggeographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 Etime difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (si,singular and plural)provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong),Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae),Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon),P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan),Yanggang-do (Yanggang)municipalites: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin),Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)
Independence:15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9September (1948)
Constitution:adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again inApril 1992, and September 1998
Legal system:based on German civil law system with Japanese influences andCommunist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; hasnot accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 3September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA)reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, aposition accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPAreelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also withresponsibility of representing state and receiving diplomaticcredentials; SPA appointed PAK Pong Ju premierhead of government: Premier PAK Pong Ju (since 3 September 2003);Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun(since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People'sArmed Forces, are appointed by SPAelections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September2008)election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nomineesfor positions and ran unopposed
Legislative branch:unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are electedwithout opposition; some seats are held by minor parties
Judicial branch:Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
Political parties and leaders: major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)
Political pressure groups and leaders:none
International organization participation:ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO,ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US asconsular protecting power
Flag description: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 isa white disk with a red five-pointed star
Economy Korea, North
Economy - overview:North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolatedeconomies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capitalstock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years ofunderinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Industrial and poweroutput have declined in parallel. Despite an increased harvest in2005 because of more stable weather conditions, fertilizerassistance from South Korea, and an extraordinary mobilization ofthe population to help with agricultural production, the nation hassuffered its 11th year of food shortages because of on-goingsystemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collectivefarming practices, and chronic shortages of tractors and fuel.Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the people ofNorth Korea to escape mass starvation since famine threatened in1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolongedmalnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale militaryspending eats up resources needed for investment and civilianconsumption. In 2004, the regime formalized an arrangement wherebyprivate "farmers markets" were allowed to begin selling a widerrange of goods. It also permitted some private farming on anexperimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. InOctober 2005, the regime reversed some of these policies byforbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralizedfood rationing system. In December 2005, the regime confirmed thatit intended to carry out earlier threats to terminate allinternational humanitarian assistance operations in the DPRK(calling instead for developmental assistance only) and to restrictthe activities of international and non-governmental aidorganizations such as the World Food Program. Firm political controlremains the Communist government's overriding concern, which willlikely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$40 billionnote: North Korea does not publish any reliable National IncomeAccounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing powerparity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by AngusMaddison in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 wasextrapolated to 2005 using estimated real growth rates for NorthKorea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator;the result was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):NA
GDP - real growth rate:1% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,700 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30% industry: 34% services: 36% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 9.6 million
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 36% industry and services: 64%
Unemployment rate:NA%
Population below poverty line:NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - products:rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs
Industries:military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals;mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, andprecious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:NA%
Electricity - production:18.75 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 29% hydro: 71% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:17.43 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:25,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:22,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Exports:$1.275 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (includingarmaments), textiles, fishery products
Exports - partners:China 45.6%, South Korea 20.2%, Japan 12.9% (2004)
Imports:$2.819 billion c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain
Imports - partners:China 32.9%, Thailand 10.7%, Japan 4.8% (2004)
Debt - external:$12 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons in food aid, worthapproximately $118 million, through the World Food Program appeal in2004, plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmentalorganizations
Currency (code):North Korean won (KPW)
Currency code:KPW
Exchange rates:official: North Korean won per US dollar - 170 (December 2004), 150(December 2002), 2.15 (December 2001); market: North Korean won perUS dollar - 300-600 (December 2002)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Korea, North
Telephones - main lines in use:980,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:NA
Telephone system:general assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); otherinternational connections through Moscow and Beijing
Radio broadcast stations:AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central BroadcastingStation), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2003)
Radios:3.36 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, KoreanEducational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targetingSouth Korea) (2003)
Televisions:1.2 million (1997)
Internet country code:.kp
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2000)
Internet users:NA
Transportation Korea, North
Airports: 77 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 41 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 7 (2006)
Heliports:22 (2006)
Pipelines:oil 154 km (2006)
Railways: total: 5,214 km standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 31,200 km paved: 1,997 km unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)
Merchant marine:total: 232 ships (1000 GRT or over) 983,182 GRT/1,370,104 DWTby type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 176, chemical tanker 1, container 4,livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 17,refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 1foreign-owned: 60 (British Virgin Islands 1, China 1, Denmark 1,Egypt 2, Greece 1, India 1, Lebanon 6, Lithuania 1, Marshall Islands1, Pakistan 3, Romania 11, Russia 1, Singapore 1, Syria 14, Turkey4, UAE 6, US 3, Yemen 2)registered in other countries: 5 (Belize 2, Mongolia 3) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin,Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
Military Korea, North
Military branches:North Korean People's Army: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force; civilsecurity forces (2005)
Military service age and obligation:17 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 17-49: 5,851,801females age 17-49: 5,850,733 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 17-49: 4,810,831females age 17-49: 4,853,270 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 194,605females age 17-49: 187,846 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$5,217.4 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:NA
Transnational Issues Korea, North
Disputes - international:China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of NorthKoreans escaping famine, economic privation, and politicaloppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certainislands in Yalu and Tumen rivers and a section of boundary aroundPaektu-san (mountain) is indefinite; Military Demarcation Linewithin the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North fromSouth Korea since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with South overthe Northern Limit Line; North Korea supports South Korea inrejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 50,000-250,000 (government repression and famine) (2005)
Trafficking in persons:current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women,and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexualexploitation; North Korea's own system of political repressionincludes forced labor in a network of prison camps where anestimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons are incarcerated; the illegalstatus of North Koreans in China and other countries increases theirvulnerability to trafficking schemes and sexual and physical abuse;North Koreans forcibly returned from China may be subject to hardlabor in prison camps operated by the governmenttier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimumstandards for the elimination of trafficking and is not makingsignificant efforts to do so
Illicit drugs:for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of theDemocratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of themdiplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroadwhile trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years havelinked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin andmethamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchantship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Korea, South
Introduction Korea, South
Background:Korea was an independent kingdom for much of its millennia-longhistory. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905,Japan occupied Korea; five years later it formally annexed theentire peninsula. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) wasset up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while aCommunist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK).During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces foughtalongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRKattacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice wassigned in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zoneat about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapideconomic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 timesthe level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became SouthKorea's first civilian president following 32 years of militaryrule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. InJune 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place betweenthe South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM JongIl.
Geography Korea, South
Location:Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering theSea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates:37 00 N, 127 30 E
Map references:Asia
Area:total: 98,480 sq kmland: 98,190 sq kmwater: 290 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries: total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km
Coastline:2,413 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Straitcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: not specified
Climate:temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain:mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Land use: arable land: 16.58% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.41% (2005)
Irrigated land:8,780 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismicactivity common in southwest
Environment - current issues:air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from thedischarge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Environment - international agreements:party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine LivingResources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, ClimateChange-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, MarineDumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:strategic location on Korea Strait
People Korea, South
Population:48,846,823 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139)15-64 years: 71.9% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862)65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female 2,678,914) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 35.2 yearsmale: 34.2 yearsfemale: 36.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:0.42% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:10 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.08 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 6.16 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 6.54 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 77.04 yearsmale: 73.61 yearsfemale: 80.75 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:8,300 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions:no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%,other 1%
Languages:Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 97.9%male: 99.2%female: 96.6% (2002)
Government Korea, South
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Koreaconventional short form: South Korealocal long form: Taehan-min'guklocal short form: Han'gukabbreviation: ROK
Government type:republic
Capital:name: Seoulgeographic coordinates: 37 34 N, 127 00 Etime difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities(gwangyoksi, singular and plural)provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo(South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong),Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do,Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on),Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan),Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi(Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)
Independence:15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Constitution:17 July 1948
Legal system:combines elements of continental European civil law systems,Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage:19 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003)head of government: Prime Minister HAN Myeong-sook (since 20 April2006); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006);KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September2006)cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the primeminister's recommendationelections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-yearterm; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held inDecember 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consentof National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by presidenton prime minister's recommendationelection results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote -ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Legislative branch:unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats - members electedfor four-year terms; 243 in single-seat constituencies, 56 byproportional representation)elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008;byelections held on 30 April 2005 and on 26 October 2005)election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 144, GNP 127, DP 11, DLP9, ULD 3, independents 5note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by partyreflect results of April and October 2005 byelections involving sixand four seats respectively; MDP became DP in May 2005; UnitedLiberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006. (2006)
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with consent ofNational Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed bypresident based partly on nominations by National Assembly and ChiefJustice of the court)
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun]; Democratic Partyor DP [HAHN Hwa-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup];People-Centered Party or PCP [SHIN Kook-hwan]; Uri Party [KIMGeun-tae]
Political pressure groups and leaders:Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council ofChurches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance ofKorea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; NationalFederation of Student Associations
International organization participation:AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), AustraliaGroup, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS(observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner),UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
Flag description: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
Economy Korea, South
Economy - overview:Since the early 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incrediblerecord of growth and integration into the high-tech modern worldeconomy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levelsin the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Koreajoined the trillion dollar club of world economies. Today its GDPper capita is equal to the lesser economies of the EU. This successthrough the late 1980s was achieved by a system of closegovernment/business ties, including directed credit, importrestrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong laboreffort. The government promoted the import of raw materials andtechnology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savingsand investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's developmentmodel, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing,and an undisciplined financial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998,then recovered 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports,and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reformshad stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and2005, growth moderated to about 4%. A downturn in consumer spendingwas offset by rapid export growth. In 2005, the government proposedlabor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme to help makethe labor market more flexible, and new real estate policies to coolproperty speculation. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, anexport surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income characterizethis solid economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$1.101 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$801.2 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$22,600 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.3% industry: 40.3% services: 56.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 23.53 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 6.4% industry: 26.4% services: 67.2% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:3.7% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:15% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25% (2005 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:35.8 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):2.8% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):29.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $195 billionexpenditures: $189 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Public debt:20% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs,chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Industries:electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals,shipbuilding, steel
Industrial production growth rate:5.9% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:342.1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 62.4% hydro: 0.8% nuclear: 36.6% other: 0.2% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:321.1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption:2.061 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports:645,200 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:2.263 million bbl/day (2004)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:24.09 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - imports:21.11 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:$16.56 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$288.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motorvehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals
Exports - partners:China 21.8%, US 14.6%, Japan 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.5% (2005)
Imports:$256 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel,transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics
Imports - partners:Japan 18.5%, China 14.8%, US 11.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$210.4 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$153.9 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - donor:ODA, $423.3 million (2004)
Currency (code):South Korean won (KRW)
Currency code:KRW
Exchange rates:South Korean won per US dollar - 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004),1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002), 1,291 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Korea, South
Telephones - main lines in use:23.745 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:38.342 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: excellent domestic and international servicesdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 82; 10 fiber-optic submarine cables -1 Korea-Russia-Japan, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong, 3 Korea-Japan-China,1 Korea-Japan-China-Europe, 1 Korea-Japan-China-US-Taiwan, 1Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan;satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 IndianOcean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005)
Radios:47.5 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations: terrestrial stations 43; cable operators 59; relay cable operators 190 (2005)
Televisions:15.9 million (1997)
Internet country code:.kr
Internet hosts:5,433,591 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):11 (2000)
Internet users:33.9 million (2005)
Transportation Korea, South
Airports: 107 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 20 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 38 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 35 (2006)
Heliports:540 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2006)
Railways:total: 3,472 kmstandard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,361 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways:total: 97,252 kmpaved: 74,641 km (including 3,060 km of expressways)unpaved: 22,611 km (2004)
Waterways:1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)
Merchant marine:total: 669 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,634,188 GRT/13,733,624 DWTby type: bulk carrier 157, cargo 193, chemical tanker 98, container81, liquefied gas 22, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleumtanker 57, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 6, specializedtanker 3, vehicle carrier 6foreign-owned: 22 (France 12, Japan 1, UK 2, US 7)registered in other countries: 365 (Belize 4, Cambodia 23, China 2,Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia3, Malaysia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 291, Singapore17, unknown 2) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Inch'on, Masan, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan
Military Korea, South
Military branches:Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), MarineCorps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)
Military service age and obligation: 20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; women, in service since 1950, are admitted to seven service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps (2005)
Manpower available for military service:males age 20-49: 12,483,677females age 20-49: 12,014,462 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 20-49: 10,115,817females age 20-49: 9,721,914 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 344,943females age 20-49: 312,720 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$21.06 billion FY05 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2.6% FY05 (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Korea, South
Disputes - international:Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zonehas separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritimedisputes with North Korea over the Northern Limit Line; South Koreaand Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied bySouth Korea since 1954
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Kuwait
Introduction Kuwait
Background:Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the rulingKuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Followingseveral weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began aground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in fourdays. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructuredamaged during 1990-91.
Geography Kuwait
Location:Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and SaudiArabia
Geographic coordinates:29 30 N, 45 45 E
Map references:Middle East
Area:total: 17,820 sq kmland: 17,820 sq kmwater: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline:499 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain:flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed location 306 m
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0.84% permanent crops: 0.17% other: 98.99% (2005)
Irrigated land:130 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavyrain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust stormsoccur throughout the year, but are most common between March andAugust
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geography - note: strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
People Kuwait
Population: 2,418,393 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 26.9% (male 331,768/female 319,895)15-64 years: 70.3% (male 1,085,721/female 613,746)65 years and over: 2.8% (male 42,460/female 24,803) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 25.9 yearsmale: 28 yearsfemale: 22.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:3.52%note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration ofexpatriates (2006 est.)
Birth rate:21.94 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:2.41 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:15.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.04 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female65 years and over: 1.71 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 9.71 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 10.72 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 8.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 77.2 yearsmale: 76.13 yearsfemale: 78.31 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:2.91 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.12% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:NA
Nationality:noun: Kuwaiti(s)adjective: Kuwaiti
Ethnic groups:Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions:Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, andother 15%
Languages:Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 83.5%male: 85.1%female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
Government Kuwait
Country name:conventional long form: State of Kuwaitconventional short form: Kuwaitlocal long form: Dawlat al Kuwaytlocal short form: Al Kuwayt
Government type:constitutional hereditary emirate
Capital:name: Kuwaitgeographic coordinates: 29 20 N, 47 59 Etime difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir
Independence:19 June 1961 (from UK)
National holiday:National Day, 25 February (1950)
Constitution:approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Legal system:civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters;has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:adult males who are not in the military forces, and adult females(as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for 20 years
Executive branch:chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Sabahhead of government: Prime Minister NASIR al-Muhammad al-Ahmadal-Sabah (since 7 February 2006) First Deputy Prime Minister JABIRMubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy PrimeMinisters MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February2006) and Ismail al-SHATTI (since 10 July 2006)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister andapproved by the amirelections: none; the amir is hereditary; prime minister and deputyprime ministers appointed by the amir