none
International organization participation:
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 as consular 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 is a white disk with a red five-pointed star
EconomyKorea, North
Economy - overview:
North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel from pre-1990 levels. Due in part to severe summer flooding followed by dry weather conditions in the fall of 2006, the nation suffered its 13th year of food shortages because of on-going systemic problems including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. During the summer of 2007, severe flooding again occurred. Large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Since 2002, the government has formalized an arrangement whereby private "farmers' markets" were allowed to begin selling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming on an experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. In October 2005, the government tried to reverse some of these policies by forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food rationing system. By December 2005, the government terminated most international humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities of remaining international and non-governmental aid organizations such as the World Food Program. External food aid now comes primarily from China and South Korea in the form of grants and long-term concessional loans. During the October 2007 summit, South Korea also agreed to develop some of North Korea's infrastructure and natural resources and light industry. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$40 billion note: North Korea does not publish any reliable National Income Accounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus MADDISON in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was extrapolated to 2007 using estimated real growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; the result was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$25.96 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23.3% industry: 43.1% services: 33.6% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
20 million note: estimates vary widely (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 37% industry and services: 63% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $2.88 billion $NA expenditures: $2.98 billion $NA
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs
Industries:
military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:
21.72 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
18.18 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 29% hydro: 71% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
141 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
24,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports:
10,520 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
NA bbl
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2007)
Exports:
$1.466 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products
Exports - partners:
South Korea 32%, China 29%, Thailand 9% (2006)
Imports:
$2.879 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain
Imports - partners:
China 27%, South Korea 16%, Thailand 9%, Russia 7% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$372 million note: approximately 65,000 metric tons in food aid through the World Food Program appeals in 2007, plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations (2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$12.5 billion (2001 est.)
Currency (code):
North Korean won (KPW)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar - 140 (2007), 141 (2006), 170 (December 2004), market: North Korean won per US dollar - 2,500-3,000 (December 2006)
CommunicationsKorea, North
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.18 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate system; currently no mobile cellular telephone services domestic: fiber-optic links installed between cities; telephone directories unavailable; mobile cellular service, initiated in 2002, terminated in 2004; in January 2008 Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian company, announced that it had been granted a commercial license to provide mobile telephone services in North Korea international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting Station; North Korea has a "national intercom" cable radio station wired throughout the country that is a significant source of information for the average North Korean citizen; it is wired into most residences and workplaces and carries news and commentary), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2006)
Radios:
3.36 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting South Korea) (2003)
Televisions:
1.2 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.kp
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
TransportationKorea, North
Airports:
77 (2007)
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 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 7 (2007)
Heliports:
23 (2007)
Pipelines:
oil 154 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 5,235 km standard gauge: 5,235 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 25,554 km paved: 724 km unpaved: 24,830 km (2006)
Waterways:
2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 167 by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 121, carrier 1, chemical tanker 4, container 3, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 19 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 1, Romania 4, Syria 1, UAE 8, Yemen 2) registered in other countries: 2 (Mongolia 1, Panama 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin,Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
MilitaryKorea, North
Military branches:
North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,225,747 females age 16-49: 6,188,270 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,141,240 females age 16-49: 5,139,447 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 199,628 female: 192,388 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
Transnational IssuesKorea, North
Disputes - international:
risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundary; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: undetermined (flooding in mid-2007 and famine during mid-1990s) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the most common form of trafficking involves North Korean women and girls who cross the border into China voluntarily; additionally, North Korean women and girls are lured out of North Korea to escape poor social and economic conditions by the promise of food, jobs, and freedom, only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements once in China tier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not acknowledge the existence of human rights abuses in the country or recognize trafficking, either within the country or transnationally; North Korea has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
Illicit drugs:
for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Korea, South
IntroductionKorea, South
Background:
An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. In October 2007, a second North-South summit took place between the South's President ROH Moo-hyun and the North Korean leader.
GeographyKorea, South
Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering theSea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 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 Strait contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental 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)
Total renewable water resources:
69.7 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 18.59 cu km/yr (36%/16%/48%) per capita: 389 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Environment - current issues:
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on Korea Strait
PeopleKorea, South
Population:
48,379,392 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.4% (male 4,431,315/female 4,004,810) 15-64 years: 72% (male 17,760,975/female 17,095,436) 65 years and over: 10.5% (male 2,030,931/female 3,055,925) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.7 years male: 35.5 years female: 37.9 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.269% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
9.09 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.64 years male: 75.34 years female: 82.17 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.2 children born/woman (2008 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:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions:
Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)
Languages:
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 99.2% female: 96.6% (2002)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years male: 18 years female: 15 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2004)
GovernmentKorea, South
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Korea conventional short form: South Korea local long form: Taehan-min'guk local short form: Han'guk abbreviation: ROK
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Seoul geographic coordinates: 37 33 N, 126 59 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard 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; note - amended or rewritten nine times; current constitution approved on 29 October 1987
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
19 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President LEE Myung-bak (since 25 February 2008) head of government: Prime Minister HAN Seung-soo (since 29 February 2008) cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 19 December 2007 (next to be held on in December 2012); prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president on prime minister's recommendation election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president on 19 December 2002; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; others 4.5%; LEE Myung-bak elected president on 19 December 2007; percent of vote - LEE Myung-bak (GNP) 48.7%; CHUNG Dong-young (UNDP) 26.1%); LEE Hoi-chang (independent) 15.1; others 10.1%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; 243 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 56 elected by proportional representation; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GNP 153, UDP 81, LFP 18, Pro-Park Alliance 14, DLP 5, CKP 3, independents 25
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president with consent ofNational Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by thepresident based partly on nominations by National Assembly and ChiefJustice of the court)
Political parties and leaders:
Creative Korea Party or CKP [MOON Kook-hyun]; Democratic Labor Partyor DLP [CHUN Young-se]; Grand National Party or GNP [PARK Hee-tae];Liberty Forward Party or LFP [LEE Hoi-chang]; Democratic Party or DP[CHUNG Sye-kyun] (formerly the United Democratic Party or UDP)
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:
ADB, AfDB (nonregional members), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN (dialoguepartner), Australia Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA,IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA,MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF(partner), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, 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 Kathleen STEPHENS embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, 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 of Changes) in each corner of the white field
EconomyKorea, South
Economy - overview:
Since the 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies. Today its GDP per capita is roughly the same as that of Greece and Spain. This success was achieved by a system of close government/business ties including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, then recovered by 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and 2007, growth moderated to about 4-5% annually. A downturn in consumer spending was offset by rapid export growth. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, and an export surplus in 2007 characterize this solid economy, but inflation and unemployment are increasing in the face of rising oil prices.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.206 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$957.1 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$25,000 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3% industry: 39.4% services: 57.6% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
24.22 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7.5% industry: 17.3% services: 75.2% (2007)
Unemployment rate:
3.3% (2007 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:
35.1 (2006)
Investment (gross fixed):
28.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $262.2 billion expenditures: $225.8 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
28.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.55% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$92.59 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$541.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.061 trillion (31 December 2007)
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:
5.5% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
412.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
368.6 billion kWh (2007)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 62.4% hydro: 0.8% nuclear: 36.6% other: 0.2% (2001)
Oil - production:
20,970 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2.214 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:
2.41 million bbl/day (2006)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
390 million cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
34.83 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
33.38 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
$5.954 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$379 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals
Exports - partners:
China 22.1%, US 12.4%, Japan 7.1%, Hong Kong 5% (2007)
Imports:
$349.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics
Imports - partners:
China 17.7%, Japan 15.8%, US 10.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.9% (2007)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $455.3 million (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$68.07 million (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$262.2 billion (31 December 2007)
Debt - external:
$220.1 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$119.6 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$82.1 billion (2006)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.051 trillion (2007)
Currency (code):
South Korean won (KRW)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - 929.2 (2007), 954.8 (2006), 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003)
CommunicationsKorea, South
Telephones - main lines in use:
23.905 million (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
43.5 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services featuring rapid incorporation of new technologies domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 140 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of a full range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom in e-commerce international: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean; 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:
43 (plus 59 cable operators and 190 relay cable operators) (2005)
Televisions:
15.9 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.kr
Internet hosts:
333,823 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)
Internet users:
35.59 million (2007)
TransportationKorea, South
Airports:
105 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 68 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: 19 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 37 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 34 (2007)
Heliports:
536 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 3,472 km standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,342 km electrified) (2006)
Roadways:
total: 102,062 km paved: 90,417 km (includes 3,103 km of expressways) unpaved: 11,645 km (2006)
Waterways:
1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 812 by type: bulk carrier 212, cargo 226, carrier 2, chemical tanker 133, container 80, liquefied gas 33, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 61, refrigerated cargo 16, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 31 (China 1, Japan 20, Norway 2, UK 1, US 7) registered in other countries: 363 (Belize 1, Cambodia 22, China 1, Cyprus 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 3, Kiribati 2, Liberia 3, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 10, Mongolia 1, Netherlands 1, Panama 303, Russia 1, Singapore 3, Tuvalu 1, unknown 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Inch'on, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan
MilitaryKorea, South
Military branches:
Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved (to be reduced to 18 months beginning 2016); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,691,809 females age 16-49: 13,029,859 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,282,699 females age 16-49: 10,683,668 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 371,108 female: 325,408 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2006)
Transnational IssuesKorea, South
Disputes - international:
Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limiting Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Kosovo
IntroductionKosovo
Background:
Serbs migrated to the territories of modern Kosovo in the 7th century but did not fully incorporate them into the Serbian realm until the early 13th century. The Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 led to five centuries of Ottoman rule during which large numbers of Turks and Albanians moved to Kosovo. By the end of the 19th century, Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant ethnic group in Kosovo. Serbia reacquired control over Kosovo from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War (1912). After World War II (1945), the government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia led by Josip TITO reorganized Kosovo as an autonomous province within the constituent republic of Serbia. Over the next four decades, Kosovo Albanians lobbied for greater autonomy, and Kosovo was granted the status almost equal to that of a republic in the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution. Despite the legislative concessions, Albanian nationalism increased in the 1980s leading to nationalist riots and calls for Kosovo's independence. Serbs in Kosovo complained of mistreatment and Serb nationalist leaders, such as Slobodan MILOSEVIC, exploited those charges to win support among Serbian voters many of whom viewed Kosovo as their cultural heartland. Under MILOSEVIC's leadership, Serbia instituted a new constitution in 1989 that drastically curtailed Kosovo's autonomy. Kosovo Albanian leaders responded in 1991 by organizing a referendum that declared Kosovo independent from Serbia. The MILOSEVIC regime carried out repressive measures against the Albanians in the early 1990s as the unofficial government of Kosovo, led by Ibrahim RUGOVA, tried to use passive resistance to gain international assistance and recognition of its demands for independence. In 1995, Albanians dissatisfied with RUGOVA's nonviolent strategy created the Kosovo Liberation Army and launched an insurgency. In 1998, MILOSEVIC authorized a counterinsurgency campaign that resulted in massacres and massive expulsions of ethnic Albanians by Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces. The international community tried to resolve the conflict peacefully, but MILOSEVIC rejected the proposed international settlement - the Rambouillet Accords - leading to a three-month NATO bombing of Serbia beginning in March 1999, which forced Serbia to withdraw its military and police forces from Kosovo in June 1999. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) placed Kosovo under a transitional administration, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), pending a determination of Kosovo's future status. Under the resolution, Serbia's territorial integrity was protected, but it was UNMIK that assumed responsibility for governing Kosovo. In 2001, UNMIK promulgated a Constitutional Framework, which established Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG). In succeeding years UNMIK increasingly devolved responsibilities to the PISG. A UN-led process began in late 2005 to determine Kosovo's future status. Negotiations held intermittently between 2006 and 2007 on issues related to decentralization, religious heritage, and minority rights failed to yield a resolution between Serbia's willingness to grant a high degree of autonomy and the Albanians' call for full independence for Kosovo. On 17 February 2008, the Kosovo Assembly declared its independence from Serbia.
GeographyKosovo
Location:
Southeast Europe, between Serbia and Macedonia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 10,887 sq km land: 10,887 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total: 702 km border countries: Albania 112 km, Macedonia 159 km, Montenegro 79 km, Serbia 352 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
influenced by continental air masses resulting in relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall and hot, dry summers and autumns; Mediterranean and alpine influences create regional variation; maximum rainfall between October and December
Terrain:
flat fluvial basin with an elevation of 400-700 m above sea level surrounded by several high mountain ranges with elevations of 2,000 to 2,500 m
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Drini i Bardhe/Beli Drim 297 m (located on the border with Albania) highest point: Gjeravica/Deravica 2,565 m
Natural resources:
nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite
PeopleKosovo
Population:
2,126,708 (2007 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovac (Serbian) adjective: Kosovar (Albanian), Kosovski (Serbian) note: Kosovan, a neutral term, is sometimes also used as a noun or adjective
Ethnic groups:
Albanians 88%, Serbs 7%, other 5% (Bosniak, Gorani, Roma, Turk,Ashkali, Egyptian)
Religions:
Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic
Languages:
Albanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosnian, Turkish, Roma
GovernmentKosovo
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kosovo conventional short form: Kosovo local long form: Republika e Kosoves (Republika Kosova) local short form: Kosova (Kosovo) former: Kosovo and Metohija Autonomous Province
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Pristina (Prishtine) geographic coordinates: 42 40 N, 21 10 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
30 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna in Albanian; opstine,singular - opstina in Serbian); Decan (Decani), Dragash (Dragas),Ferizaj (Urosevac), Fushe Kosove (Kosovo Polje), Gjakove (Dakovica),Gllogoc/Drenas (Glogovac), Gjilan (Gnjilane), Istog (Istok),Kacanik, Kamenice/Dardana (Kamenica), Kline (Klina), Leposaviq(Leposavic), Lipjan (Lipljan), Malisheve (Malisevo), Mitrovice(Mitrovica), Novoberde (Novo Brdo), Obiliq (Obilic), Peje (Pec),Podujeve (Podujevo), Prishtine (Pristina), Prizren, Rahovec(Orahovac), Shtime (Stimlje), Shterpce (Strpce), Skenderaj (Srbica),Suhareke (Suva Reka), Viti (Vitina), Vushtrri (Vucitrn), ZubinPotok, Zvecan
Independence:
17 February 2008 (from Serbia)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 February (2008)
Constitution:
ratified 9 April 2008; effective 15 June 2008
Legal system:
evolving legal system based on terms of UN Special Envoy Martti AHTISAARI's Plan for Kosovo's supervised independence
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Fatmir SEJDIU (since 10 February 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Hashim THACI (since 9 January 2008) cabinet: ministers; elected by the Kosovo Assembly elections: the president is elected for a five-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; election last held 9 January 2008 (next to be held by in 2013); the prime minister is elected by the Kosovo Assembly election results: Fatmir SEJDIU reelected president; first round: Fatmir SEDIU 62, Naim MALOKU 37; second round: Fatmir SEDIU 61, Naim MALOKU 37; and Hashim THACI elected to be prime minister by the Assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral Kosovo Assembly of the Provisional Government (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats for Serbs, 10 seats for other minorities; to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 17 November 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PDK 34.3%, LDK 22.6%, AKR 12.3%, LDD 10.0%, AAK 9.6%, other 11.2%; seats by party - PDK 37, LDK 25, AKR 13, LDD 11, AAK 10, other 4
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG); district courts judges are appointed by the SRSG; municipal courts judges are appointed by the SRSG note: after the termination of UNMIK's mandate, the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) will propose to the president candidates for appointment or reappointment as judges and prosecutors; the KJC is also responsible for decisions on the promotion and transfer of judges and disciplinary proceedings against judges; at least 15% of Supreme Court and district court judges shall be from nonmajority communities
Political parties and leaders:
Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo or PShDK [MarkKRASNIQI]; Alliance for the Future of Kosovo or AAK [RamushHARADINAJ]; Alliance of Independent Social Democrats of Kososvo andMetohija or SDSKIM [Slavisa PETKOVIC]; Autonomous Liberal Party ofSLS [Slobodan PETROVIC]; Bosniak Vakat Coalition [Dzezair MURATI];Citizens' Initiative of Gora or GIG [Murselj HALILI]; Council ofIndependent Social Democrats of Kosovo or SNSDKIM [Ljubisa ZIVIC];Democratic League of Dardania or LDD [Nexhat DACI]; DemocraticLeague of Kosovo or LDK [Fatmir SEJDIU]; Democratic Party of Ashkaliof Kosovo or PDAK [Sabit RAHMANI]; Democratic Party of Kosovo or PDK[Hashim THACI]; Kosovo Democratic Turkish Party of KDTP [MahirYAGCILAR]; New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo or IRDK [XhevdetNEZIRAJ]; New Democratic Party or ND [Branislav GRBIC]; New KosovoAlliance or AKR [Behxhet PACOLLI]; Popular Movement of Kosovo or LPK[Emrush XHEMAJLI]; Reform Party Ora; Serb National Party or SNS[Mihailo SCEPANOVIC]; Serbian Kosovo and Metohija Party or SKMS[Dragisa MIRIC]; United Roma Party of Kosovo or PREBK [Haxhi ZylfiMERXHA]; Democratic Action Party or SDA [Numan BALIC]; Serbian Listfor Kosovo and Metohija [Oliver IVANOVIC]; Serbian National Councilof Northern Kosovo and Metohija or SNV [Milan IVANOVIC]; DemocraticParty of Bosniaks [Dzezair MURAIT]; Democratic Party Vatan [SadikIDRIZI]; Gorani Citizens Initiative [Mursel HALJILJI]; SerbianPeople Party [Mihailo SCEPANOVIC]; Serbian Democratic Party ofKosovo and Metohija [Slavisa PETKOVIC]; Serb Liberal Party [SlobodanPETROVIC]; Independent League of Social-Democrats of Kosovo andMetohija [Ljubisa ZIVIC]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedom (human rights);Humanitarian Law Centre (human rights); Movement forSelf-Determination; Serb National Council (SNV)
International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tina KAIDANOW embassy: Arberia/Dragodan, Nazim Hikmet 30, Pristina, Kosovo mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 381 38 59 59 3000 FAX: 381 38 549 890
Flag description:
centered on a dark blue field is the geographical shape of Kosovo in a gold color surmounted by six white, five-pointed stars - each representing one of the major ethnic groups of Kosovo - arrayed in a slight arc
EconomyKosovo
Economy - overview:
Over the past few years Kosovo's economy has shown significant progress in transitioning to a market-based system, but it is still highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany and Switzerland - account for about 30% of GDP. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an average annual per capita income of only $1800 - about one-third the level of neighboring Albania. Unemployment - at more than 40% of the population - is a severe problem that encourages outward migration. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the capital, Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical expertise. Economic growth is largely driven by the private sector - mostly small-scale retail businesses. With international assistance, Kosovo has been able to privatize 50% of its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by number, and over 90% of SOEs by value. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because investment has been insufficient to replace ageing Eastern Bloc equipment. Technical and financial problems in the power sector also impedes industrial development. The US has worked with the World Bank to prepare a commercial tender for the development of new power generating and mining capacity. The official currency of Kosovo is the euro, but the Serbian dinar is also used in the Serb enclaves. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep inflation low. Kosovo has maintained a budget surplus as a result of efficient tax collection and inefficient budget execution. While maintaining ultimate oversight, UNMIK continues to work with the EU and with Kosovo's government to accelerate economic growth, lower unemployment, and attract foreign investment. In order to help integrate Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade Area (CEFTA) in 2006. In February 2008, UNMIK also represented Kosovo at the newly established Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).