Korea, North

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 14, shortwave 12 (1999)

Radios

3.36 million (1997)

Telephone system

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean Region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing

Telephones - main lines in use

1.1 million (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

38 (1999)

Televisions

1.2 million (1997)

Agriculture - products

rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs

Budget

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Currency

1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon

Debt - external

$12 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA; note - an estimated $200 million to $300 million in humanitarian aid from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 1997 plus much additional aid from the UN and non-governmental organizations

Economy - overview

North Korea ranks among the world's most centrally planned and isolated economies. The resulting economic distortions and the government's reluctance to publicize economic data limit the amount of reliable information available. State-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods, and the regime continues to devote its focus on heavy and military industries at the expense of light and consumer industries. Economic conditions remain stagnant at best and the country's deepening economic slide has been fueled by acute energy shortages, poorly maintained and aging industrial facilities, and a lack of new investment. The agricultural outlook, though slightly improved over previous years, remains weak. The combined effects of serious fertilizer shortages, successive natural disasters, and structural constraints - such as marginal arable land and a short growing season - have reduced staple grain output to more than 1 million tons less than what the country needs to meet even minimum international requirements. The steady flow of international food aid has been critical in meeting the population's basic food needs. The impact of other forms of humanitarian assistance such as medical supplies and agricultural assistance largely has been limited to local areas. Even with aid, malnutrition rates are among the world's highest and estimates of mortality range in the hundreds of thousands as a direct result of starvation or famine-related diseases.

Electricity - consumption

29.737 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

31.975 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 34.4% hydro: 65.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)

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

Exports

$680 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports - commodities

minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments); agricultural and fishery products

Exports - partners

Japan 28%, South Korea 21%, China 5%, Germany 4%, Russia 1% (1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $22.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 30% industry: 42% services: 28% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$954 million (c.i.f., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment; consumer goods, grain

Imports - partners

China 33%, Japan 17%, Russia 5%, South Korea 4%, Germany 3% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Labor force

9.6 million

Labor force - by occupation

agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 120,540 sq km land: 120,410 sq km water: 130 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Mississippi

Climate

temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer

Coastline

2,495 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m

Environment - current issues

localized air pollution attributable to inadequate industrial controls; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water

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

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 127 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

Irrigated land

14,600 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,673 km border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km

Land use

arable land: 14% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 61% other: 23% (1993 est.)

Location

Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea

Map references

Asia

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

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

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)

Capital

P'yongyang

Constitution

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

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

Data code

KN

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (Swedish Embassy in P'yongyang represents the US as consular protecting power)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none; note - North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, headed by YI Hyong-chol

Executive branch

chief of state: KIM Chong-il (since NA July 1994); 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: Cabinet (Naegak), 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 last held NA 1998 (next to be held NA) election results: HONG Song-nam elected premier; percent of Supreme People's Assembly vote - NA

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

Government type

authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship

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

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

Judicial branch

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

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

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 2003) 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

National holiday

Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)

Political parties and leaders

Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; Korean Social Democratic Party [KIM Pyong-sik, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Chong-il, General Secretary]

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Background

Following World War II, Korea was split into a northern, communist half and a southern, Western-oriented half. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-sung, died in 1994. After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on international food aid to feed its population, while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of over 1 million, the fifth largest in the world. North Korea's long-range missile development and research into nuclear and chemical weapons are of major concern to the international community.

Military branches

Korean People's Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security Forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$3.7 billion to $4.9 billion (FY98 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

25% to 33% (FY98 est.)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 5,853,635 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 3,527,760 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 178,931 (2000 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 26% (male 2,843,250; female 2,705,206) 15-64 years: 68% (male 7,223,364; female 7,502,094) 65 years and over: 6% (male 448,242; female 965,394) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

20.43 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

24.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Korean

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.74 years male: 67.76 years female: 73.86 years (2000 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

21,687,550 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.35% (2000 est.)

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

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: 0.46 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.3 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

33-km section of boundary with China in the Paektu-san (mountain) area is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

49 (1994 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 22 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1994 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 27 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)

Highways

total: 31,200 km paved: 1,997 km unpaved: 29,203 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 107 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 675,609 GRT/937,477 DWT ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 91, combination bulk 1, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, short-sea passenger 2 (1999 est.)

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

Railways

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 (four rails interlaced) (1996 est.)

Waterways

2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only