Map of North Korea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: At the end of World War II, the US and the Soviet Union agreed that US troops would accept the surrender of Japanese forces south of the 38th parallel and the Soviet Union would do so in the north. In 1948, the UN proposed nationwide elections; after P'yongyang's refusal to allow UN inspectors in the north, elections were held in the south and the Republic of Korea was established. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established the following month in the north. Communist North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950. US and other UN forces intervened to defend the South and Chinese forces intervened on behalf of the North. After a bitter three-year war, an armistice was signed in 1953, establishing a military demarcation line near the 38th parallel. The North's heavy investment in military forces has produced an army of 1 million troops equipped with thousands of tanks and artillery pieces. Despite growing economic hardships, North Korea continues to devote a significant portion of its scarce resources to the military.


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Location: Northeast Asia, between China and South Korea

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 120,540 km²
Land: 120,410 km²

Land boundaries

Coastline: 2,495 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm 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

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 18%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 74%
Other: 7%

Irrigated land: 14,000 km² (1989)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 22,645,811 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.86% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Korean(s)
Adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous

Languages: Korean

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.86% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 24.09 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 5.52 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated; late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding
Current issues note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 28.6 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.51 years
Female: 72.75 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.4 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Conventional short form: North Korea
Local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
Local short form: none
Abbreviation: DPRK

Government type: Communist state; Stalinist dictatorship

Capital: P'yongyang

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 September 1948

National holiday: DPRK Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)

Constitution: adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992

Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, premier, ten vice premiers, State Administration Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui)

Judicial branch: Central Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none
From the us: none 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

Flag description

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: More than 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually tight even for a Communist country because of the small size and homogeneity of the society and the strict rule of KIM Il-song and his son, KIM Chong-il. Economic growth during the period 1984-88 averaged 2-3%, but output declined by 3-5% annually during 1989-92 because of systemic problems and disruptions in socialist-style economic relations with the former USSR and China. In 1992, output dropped sharply, by perhaps 10-15%, as the economy felt the cumulative effect of the reduction in outside support. The leadership insisted in maintaining its high level of military outlays from a shrinking economic pie. Moreover, a serious drawdown in inventories and critical shortages in the energy sector have led to increasing interruptions in industrial production. Abundant mineral resources and hydropower have formed the basis of industrial development since WWII. Output of the extractive industries includes coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. Manufacturing is centered on heavy industry, including military industry, with light industry lagging far behind. Despite the use of improved seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers, North Korea has not yet become self-sufficient in food production. Five consecutive years of poor harvests, coupled with distribution problems, have led to chronic food shortages. North Korea remains far behind South Korea in economic development and living standards.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -10% to -15% (1992 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,000 (1992 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for about 25% of GNP and 36% of work force; principal crops - rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; livestock and livestock products - cattle, hogs, pork, eggs; not self-sufficient in grain; fish catch estimated at 1.7 million metric tons in 1987

Industries: machine building, military products, electric power, chemicals, mining, metallurgy, textiles, food processing

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: 9.615 million
By occupation agricultural:

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $18.5 billion; expenditures $18.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and fishery products, manufactures (including armaments)
Partners: China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico

Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment, consumer goods
Partners: China, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1 - 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989), 2.13 (December 1988), 0.94 (March 1987)


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Electricity
Production: 7,300,000 kW capacity; 26,000 million kWh produced, 1,160 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - about $5 billion, 20-25% of GNP (1991 est.), note - the officially announced but suspect figure is $1.9 billion (1991) 8% of GNP (1991 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 55
Usable: 55 (est.)
With permanentsurface runways: about 30
With runways over 3659 m: fewer than 5
With runways 2440-3659 m: 20
With runways 1220-2439 m: 30

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 37 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: short section of boundary with China is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs