Map of North Korea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: An independent kingdom for much of its long history Korea was occupied by Japan beginning 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 control. 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 Sung adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic 'self-reliance' as a check against outside 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. North Korea's history of regional military provocations proliferation of military-related items long-range missile development WMD programs including nuclear weapons test in 2006 and 2009 and massive conventional armed forces are of major conce


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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 reference: Asia

Area
Total: 120,538 km²
Rank: 98
Land: 120,408 km²
Water: 130 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Mississippi

Land boundaries
Total: 1673 km
Border countries: (3) China 1416 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
Arable land: 22.4%
Permanent crops: 1.66%
Other: 75.94% (2005)

Irrigated land: 14,600 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 77.1 km³ (1999)

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 and sparsely populated


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Population: 22,665,345 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 50
Growth rate: 0.42% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 160
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Korean
Adjective: Korean

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

Languages: Korean

Religions: traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
Note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.3%
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 7,776,889/female 7,945,399)
65 years and over: 9.4% (male 820,504/female 1,305,557) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 33.5 years
Male: 32.1 years
Female: 34.9 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.42% (2009 est.)
Rank: 160

Birth rate: 14.82 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 141

Death rate: 10.52 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 56

Net migration rate: -0.09 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 91

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 63% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
International agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 51.34 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 49
Male: 58.64 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 43.6 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.81 years
Rank: 170
Male: 61.23 years
Female: 66.53 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 136

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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: Choson
Abbreviation: DPRK

Government type: Communist state one-man dictatorship

Capital
Name: Pyongyang
Geographic coordinates: 39 01 N 125 45 E
Time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do singular and plural) and 2 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)
Municipalities: Nason-si P'yongyang-si

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National holiday: Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) 9 September (1948)

Constitution: adopted 1948; revised several times

Legal system: based on Prussian 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 Jong Il ; note - on 9 April 2009 rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission a position accorded nation's 'highest administrative authority'; SPA reelected KIM Yong Nam in 2003 president of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials
Head of government: Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); Vice Premier KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998) Vice Premier O Su Yong (since 13 April 2009) Vice Premier PAK Su Gil (since 18 September 2009) Vice Premier PAK Myong Su (since 4 September 2009) Vice Premier RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
Cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members except for Minister of People's Armed Forces are appointed by SPA
Elections: last held in September 2003; date of next election NA
Election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees for positions and ran unopposed

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 8 March 2009 (next due to be held in March 2014)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; a token number of seats are reserved for 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)

International organization participation: ARF FAO G-77 ICAO ICRM IFAD IFRCS IHO IMO IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU NAM UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel from pre-1990 levels. Severe flooding in the summer of 2007 aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems including a lack of arable land: collective farming practices and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. 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. Since 2002 the government has allowed private 'farmers' markets' 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. In May 2008 the US agreed to give 500,000 metric tons of food to North Korea via the World Food Program and US nongovernmental organizations; Pyongyang began receiving these shipments in mid-2008. During the October 2007 summit South Korea also agreed to develop some of North Korea's infrastructure natural resources and light industry but inter-Korean economic cooperation slowed in 2008 as Pyongyang restricted tourism and manufacturing joint ventures in the North and food aid from South Korea was suspended. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern which will likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $40 billion (2008 est.)
Rank: 96
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 3.7% (2008 est.)
Rank: 107

Real gdp per capita: $1800 (2008 est.)
Rank: 189
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.3%
Industry: 43.1%
Services: 33.6% (2002 est.)

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: NA%

Labor force: 20 million
Rank: 31
Note: estimates vary widely (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 37%
By occupation industry and services: 63% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.88 billion
Expenditures: $2.98 billion (2005)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: NA%

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: $1.684 billion (2007)
Rank: 136
Commodities: minerals metallurgical products manufactures (including armaments) textiles agricultural and fishery products
Partners: South Korea 45% China 35% India 5% (2007)

Imports: $2.879 billion (2006)
Rank: 140
Commodities: petroleum coking coal machinery and equipment textiles grain
Partners: China 46% South Korea 34% Thailand 6% Russia 4% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $12.5 billion (2001 est.)
Rank: 80

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar - 140 (2007) 141 (2006) 170 (December 2004) market rate: North Korean won per US dollar - 3,400 (October 2008)


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Electricity
Production: 20.9 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 71
Consumption: 17.49 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 70
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 173
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 169
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 82
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 157
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 163

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.18 million (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 71

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate system; currently mobile cellular telephone services are available in Pyongyang only
Domestic: fiber-optic links installed between cities; telephone directories unavailable; mobile cellular service initiated in 2002 suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom an Egyptian company launched mobile service on December 15 2008 for the Pyongyang area only
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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .kp
Hosts: 3 (2009)
Hosts rank: 227

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age (2004)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 79 (2009)
Rank: 70
With paved runways total: 37
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 22
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 8
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 42
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 17
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2009)

Heliports: 22 (2009)

Pipelines: oil 154 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 5,235 km
Rank: 34
Standard gauge: 5,235 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 25,554 km
Rank: 104
Paved: 724 km
Unpaved: 24,830 km (2006)

Waterways: 2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2008)
Rank: 39

Merchant marine
Total: 167
Rank: 39
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


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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 (2007)

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