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General Information |
|
| Chief
of state |
Mr.
KIM Chong-il |
| Head
of government |
Mr.
HONG Song-nam |
| Capital |
Pyongyang
(capital) |
| Area |
total:
120,540 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km
water: 130 sq km
|
| 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 nm
exclusive economic zone 200 nm
note: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea
of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in
the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels and
aircraft without permission are banned |
| Climate |
Temperate
with rainfall concentrated in summer |
| Natural
Resources |
Coal,
lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore,
copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower |
| Irrigated
land |
14,600
sq km (approx.) |
| Natural
hazards |
Late
spring droughts often followed by severe flooding;
occasional typhoons during the early fall |
| Environment-international
agreements |
party
to: Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental
Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea |
| Population |
21.2
million (Approx.) |
| Birth
rate |
21.37
births/1,000 population (Approx.) |
|
| Death
rate |
6.92
deaths/1,000 population (Approx.) |
| Net
migration rate |
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (Approx.) |
| Sex
ratio |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.45 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (Approx.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth |
total
population: 70.07 years
male: 67.41 years
female: 72.86 years (Approx.) |
| Religions |
Buddhism,
Christianity, Chundo Kyo |
| Legislative
Body |
Unicameral
Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui |
| Language |
Korean
 |
| Literacy |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and
write Korean
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
|
| Currency |
|
| 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 |
| GDP:
Purchasing Power Parity |
-$21.8
billion (approx.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate |
-5%
(approx.) |
| GDP
- per capita |
purchasing
power parity-$1,000 (approx.) |
| GDP
- Composition by sector |
agriculture:
25%
industry: 60%
services: 15% (approx.) |
| Economy
Overview |
North
Korea is the world's most centrally planned economy.
Agricultural land is collectivized, state-owned industry
produces nearly all manufactured goods, and heavy and
military industries have long been developed at the
expense of light and consumer industries. Open-air markets
since 1995 have gained increasing importance in the
distribution of food and consumer goods but private
production remains extremely limited. Total economic
output has fallen steadily since 1991-perhaps by as much
as one-half-when the country's economic ties to the Soviet
Union and Eastern Bloc collapsed. The slide has also been
fueled by serious energy shortages, aging industrial
facilities, and a lack of maintenance and new investment.
The leadership has tried to maintain a high level of
military spending but the armed forces have nonetheless
been affected by the general economic decline. Although
North Korea has long depended on imports to meet food
needs, serious fertilizer shortages in recent years have
combined with structural constraints-such as a shortage of
arable land and a short growing season-to reduce staple
grain output to more than 1 million tons below what the
country needs to meet even minimal demand. Widespread
famine and disease have cost the lives of hundreds of
thousands of North Koreans in 1994-98. The US, China, the
international community, and nongovernmental organizations
have sent aid but the problems remain extremely serious. |
| Household
income |
lowest
10%
highest 10% |
| Industries |
Military
products; machine building, electric power, chemicals;
mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc,
lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food
processing |
| Industrial
production growth rate |
-7%
to -9% (approx.) |
| Agriculture-
products |
Rice,
corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs |
| Exports |
$912
million (Approx.) |
| Major
Exports Products |
Minerals,
metallurgical products, agricultural and fishery products,
manufactured goods (including armaments) |
| Import |
$1.95
billion (Approx.) |
| Major
Import Products |
Petroleum,
grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment, and consumer
goods |
| Trading
Partners |
China,
Japan, Russia, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong |
| Communication |
|
| Telephones |
1.4
million |
| Telephone
system |
domestic:
system is being expanded with
installation of fiber-optic cable nationwide; access
traditionally reserved for official and business
subscribers; public access is expected to increase
international: satellite earth stations-1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region);
other international connections through Moscow and Beijing
|
| Radio
Broadcast stations |
AM
27, FM 14, shortwave 3 |
| Radios |
4.7
million |
| Television
broadcast station |
38 |
| Televisions |
2
million |
| Transportation |
|
| Railways |
broad
gauge: NA km
total: 5,000 km
standard gauge: 4,095 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km
electrified; 159 km double track)
narrow gauge: 665 km 0.762-m gauge
dual gauge: 240 km 1.435-m and 1.600-m gauges
(three rails) (approx.) |
| Highways |
total:
31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (approx.)
|
| Waterways |
2,253
km; mostly navigable by small craft only |
| Pipelines |
Crude
oil 37 km; petroleum product 180 km |
| Ports
and harbors |
Ch'ongjin,
Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp'o,
Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang,
Wonsan |
| Tax
Structure |
Tax
Structure |
| International
Membership |
ESCAP,
FAO, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory
user), IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
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General Section
