Statistical information North Korea 1999North%20Korea

Map of North Korea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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North Korea - Introduction 1999
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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.


North Korea - Geography 1999
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Location: Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 127 00 E

Map referenceAsia

Area
Total: 120,540 km²
Land: 120,410 km²
Water: 130 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Mississippi

Land boundaries
Total: 1,673 km
Border countries: (3) 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 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

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 m
Extremes highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 14%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 0%
Forests and woodland: 61%
Other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 14,600 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall

Geography
Note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated


North Korea - People 1999
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Population: 21,386,109 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 1.45% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Korean(s)
Adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese

Languages: Korean

Religions: Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo
Note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 26% (male 2,800,748; female 2,666,207)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,143,969; female 7,447,147)
65 years and over: 6% (male 412,161; female 915,877) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.45% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 21.37 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 6.92 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: localized air pollution attributable to inadequate industrial controls; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
International agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
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 (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 25.52 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.07 years
Male: 67.41 years
Female: 72.86 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1999 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


North Korea - Government 1999
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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
Note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country
Abbreviation: DPRK

Government type: Communist state; one-man dictatorship

Capital: P'yongyang

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (si, singular and plural; Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City), Kangwon-do (Kangwon Province), Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (P'yongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province)

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 September 1948, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foundation Day
Note: 15 August 1945, date of independence from the Japanese and celebrated in North Korea as National Liberation Day

National holiday: Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)

Constitution: adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992 and September 1998

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
Chief of state: KIM Chong-il; note_in September 1998, KIM Chong-il was reelected Chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest administrative authority"; KIM Young-nam was named President of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials
Head of government: Premier HONG Song-nam (since 5 September 1998)
Cabinet: renamed DPRK Cabinet (naegak) on 5 September 1998; was previously called the State Administrative Council; Cabinet members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
Elections: premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly
Election results: NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA)
Election results: percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats

Judicial branch: Central Court, judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none; note_North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, headed by YI Hyong-chol
From the us: none

Flag descriptionflag of North%20Korea: 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


North Korea - Economy 1999
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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -5% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $1,000 (1998 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25%
Industry: 60%
Services: 15% (1995 est.)

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, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: -7% to -9% (1992 est.)

Labor force: 9.615 million
By occupation agricultural: 36%, nonagricultural 64%
Labor force

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $19.3 billion
Expenditures: $19.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1992 est.)

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: $743 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Commodities: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and fishery products, manufactures (including armaments)
Partners: Japan 28%, South Korea 21%, China 5%, Germany 4%, Russia 1% (1995)

Imports: $1.83 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)
Commodities: petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment, consumer goods
Partners: China 33%, Japan 17%, Russia 5%, South Korea 4%, Germany 3% (1995)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $12 billion (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: official:North Korean won (Wn) per US$1_2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989; market:North Korean won (Wn) per US$1_200


North Korea - Energy 1999
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Electricity
Production: 34 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 35.29%
Production by source hydro: 64.71%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 34 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


North Korea - Communication 1999
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Telephones: 1.4 million (1998 est.)

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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


North Korea - Military 1999
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $5 billion to $7 billion (1997 est.)
Percent of gdp: 25% to 33% (1997 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


North Korea - Transportation 1999
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 49 (1994 est.) (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 22
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (1994 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 27
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 37 km; petroleum product 180 km

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) (1996 est.)

Roadways

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

Merchant marine
Total: 110 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 691,802 GRT/992,789 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 91, combination bulk 1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 4, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 1, short-sea passenger 2 (1998 est.)

Ports and terminals


North Korea - Transnational issues 1999
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Disputes international: 33-km section of boundary with China in the Paektu-san (mountain) area is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


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