The country has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate
deposits were exhausted at the time of independence in 1979. Copra and fish
now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated
widely in recent years. Real GDP declined about 8% in 1987, as the fish
catch fell sharply to only one-fourth the level of 1986 and copra production
was hampered by repeated rains. Output rebounded strongly in 1988, with real
GDP growing by 17%. The upturn in economic growth came from an increase in
copra production and a good fish catch. Following the strong surge in output
in 1988, GNP increased 1% in both 1989 and 1990.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $36.8 million, per capita $525; real growth rate
1.0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.0% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2% (1985); considerable underemployment
Budget:
revenues $29.9 million; expenditures $16.3 million, including capital
expenditures of $14.0 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
$5.8 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
fish 55%, copra 42%
partners:
EC 20%, Marshall Islands 12%, US 8%, American Samoa 4% (1985)
Imports:
$26.7 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
commodities:
foodstuffs, fuel, transportation equipment
partners:
Australia 39%, Japan 21%, NZ 6%, UK 6%, US 3% (1985)
External debt:
$2.0 million (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 0% (1988 est.); accounts for less than 4% of GDP
Electricity:
5,000 kW capacity; 13 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
fishing, handicrafts
Agriculture:
accounts for 30% of GDP (including fishing); copra and fish contribute about
95% to exports; subsistence farming predominates; food crops - taro,
breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
$273 million
Currency:
Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3177 (March 1992), 1.2835 (1991),
1.2799 (1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986)
Fiscal year:
NA
:Kiribati Communications
Highways:
640 km of motorable roads
Inland waterways:
small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
Ports:
Banaba and Betio (Tarawa)
Civil air:
2 Trislanders; no major transport aircraft
Airports:
21 total; 20 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 2,439 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
1,400 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
:Kiribati Defense Forces
Branches:
no military force maintained; the Police Force carries out law enforcement
functions and paramilitary duties; there are small police posts on all
islands
Manpower availability:
NA
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
:Korea, North Geography
Total area:
120,540 km2
Land area:
120,410 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries:
1,673 km; China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
Coastline:
2,495 km
Maritime claims:
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 (all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned)
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
short section of boundary with China is indefinite; Demarcation Line with
South Korea
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
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 NEGL%; forest and
woodland 74%; other 7%; includes irrigated 9%
Environment:
mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely
populated; late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding
Note:
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia
:Korea, North People
Population:
22,227,303 (July 1992), growth rate 1.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
24 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
30 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 72 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Korean(s);adjective - Korean
Ethnic divisions:
racially homogeneous
Religions:
Buddhism and Confucianism; some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo;
autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored
religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Languages:
Korean
Literacy:
99%, (male 99%, female 99%); note - presumed to be virtually universal among
population under age 60
Labor force:
9,615,000; agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%; shortage of skilled and
unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)
Organized labor:
1,600,000 members; single-trade union system coordinated by the General
Federation of Trade Unions of Korea under the Central Committee
:Korea, North Government
Long-form name:
Democratic People's Republic of Korea; abbreviated DPRK
Type:
Communist state; Stalinist dictatorship
Capital:
P'yongyang
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (jikhalsi,
singular and plural); Chagang-do, Hamgyong-namdo, Hamgyong-bukto,
Hwanghae-namdo, Hwanghae-bukto, Kaesong-si*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o-si*,
P'yongan-bukto, P'yongan-namdo,P'yongyang-si*, Yanggang-do
Independence:
9 September 1948
Constitution:
adopted 1948, revised 27 December 1972
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
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 September (1948)
Executive branch:
president, two vice presidents, premier, eleven vice premiers, State
Administration Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui)
Judicial branch:
Central Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President KIM Il-song (national leader since 1945, formally President since
28 December 1972); designated Successor KIM Chong-il (son of President, born
16 February 1942)
Head of Government:
Premier YON Hyong-muk (since December 1988)
Political parties and leaders:
major party - Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KIM Il-song, general secretary,
and his son, KIM Chong-il, secretary, Central Committee; Korean Social
Democratic Party, YI Kye-paek, chairman; Chondoist Chongu Party, CHONG
Sin-hyok, chairman
Suffrage:
universal at age 17
Elections:
President:
last held 24 May 1990 (next to be held NA 1994); results - President KIM
Il-song was reelected without opposition
Supreme People's Assembly:
last held on 24 May 1990 (next to be held NA 1994); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (687 total) the KWP approves a single list of
candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few
seats
Communists:
KWP claims membership of about 3 million
Member of:
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, IMF (observer), IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
none
:Korea, North Government
Flag:
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
:Korea, North 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 1984-89 averaged 2-3%, but output declined by 2-4% annually
during 1990-91, largely because of disruptions in economic relations with
the USSR. Abundant natural resources and hydropower form the basis of
industrial development. Output of the extractive industries includes coal,
iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals.
Manufacturing is centered on heavy 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. Four 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.
GNP:
purchasing power equivalent - $23.3 billion, per capita $1,100; real growth
rate -2% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
officially none
Budget:
revenues $17.3 billion; expenditures $17.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1990)
Exports:
$2.02 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural products, manufactures
partners:
USSR, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore
Imports:
$2.62 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
petroleum, machinery and equipment, coking coal, grain
partners:
USSR, Japan, China, Hong Kong, FRG, Singapore
External debt:
$7 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
7,140,000 kW capacity; 36,000 million kWh produced, 1,650 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
machine building, military products, electric power, chemicals, mining,
metallurgy, textiles, food processing
Agriculture:
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
Economic aid:
Communist countries, $1.4 billion a year in the 1980s
Currency:
North Korean won (plural - won); 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
:Korea, North Economy
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)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Korea, North Communications
Railroads:
4,915 km total; 4,250 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 665 km 0.762-meter
narrow gauge; 159 km double track; 3,084 km electrified; government owned
(1989)
Highways:
about 30,000 km (1989); 98.5% gravel, crushed stone, or earth surface; 1.5%
paved
Inland waterways:
2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
Pipelines:
crude oil 37 km
Ports:
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam, Namp'o, Wonsan, Songnim, Najin, Sonbong (formerly
Unggi), Kim Chaek
Merchant marine:
78 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 543,033 GRT/804,507 DWT; includes 1
passenger, 1 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger-cargo, 67 cargo, 2 petroleum
tanker, 4 bulk, 1 combination bulk, 1 container
Airports:
55 total, 55 usable (est.); about 30 with permanent-surface runways; fewer
than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with
runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
broadcast stations - 18 AM, no FM, 11 TV; 200,000 TV sets; 3,500,000 radio
receivers; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
:Korea, North Defense Forces
Branches:
Korean People's Army (including the Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security
Forces
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 6,476,839; 3,949,568 fit for military service; 227,154 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
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.)
:Korea, South Geography
Total area:
98,480 km2
Land area:
98,190 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries:
238 km; North Korea 238 km
Coastline:
2,413 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specific
Territorial sea:
12 nm (3 nm in the Korea Strait)
Disputes:
Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Natural resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Land use:
arable land 21%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and
woodland 67%; other 10%; includes irrigated 12%
Environment:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest;
air pollution in large cities
:Korea, South People
Population:
44,149,199 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
67 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Korean(s);adjective - Korean
Ethnic divisions:
homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000)
Religions:
strong Confucian tradition; vigorous Christian minority (24.3% of the total
population); Buddhism; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism); Chondogyo
(religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones
founded in 19th century, about 0.1% of population
Languages:
Korean; English widely taught in high school
Literacy:
96% (male 99%, female 94%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
16,900,000; 52% services and other; 27% mining and manufacturing; 21%
agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)
Organized labor:
23.4% (1989) of labor force in government-sanctioned unions
:Korea, South Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Korea; abbreviated ROK
Type:
republic
Capital:
Seoul
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi,
singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo,
Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do,
Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo,
Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*
Independence:
15 August 1948
Constitution:
25 February 1988
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American
law, and Chinese classical thought
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, State Council
(cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Kuk Hoe)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister CHUNG Won Shik (since 24 May 1991); Deputy Prime Minister
CHOI Gak Kyu (since 19 February 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party:
Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), ROH Tae Woo, president, KIM Young Sam,
chairman; KIM Chong Pil and PAK Tae Chun, co-chairmen; note - the DLP
resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification
Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9
February 1990
opposition:
Democratic Party (DP), result of a merger of the New Democratic Party and
the Democratic Party formalized 16 September 1991; KIM Dae Jung, executive
chairman; LEE Ki Taek, executive chairman; several smaller parties
Suffrage:
universal at age 20
Elections:
President:
last held on 16 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992); results - ROH
Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, KIM Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%, KIM Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%,
other 10.1%
National Assembly:
last held on 26 April 1988 (next to be held around March 1992); results -
DJP 34%, RDP 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, other 8%; seats - (296 total) DJP 125,
PPD 70, RDP 59, NDRP 35, other 10; note - on 9 February 1990 the DJP, RDP,
and NDRP merged to form the DLP; also the PPD, later renamed the NDP, merged
with another party to form the DP in September 1991. The distribution of
seats as of December 1991 was DLP 214, DP 72, independent 9, vacant 1
:Korea, South Government
Other political or pressure groups:
Korean National Council of Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea;
National Council of College Student Representatives; National Federation of
Farmers' Associations; National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of
Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean
Industries; Korean Traders Association
Member of:
AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, COCOM, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador HYUN Hong Joo; Chancery at 2370 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5600; there are Korean Consulates
General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los
Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
US:
Ambassador Donald P. GREGG; Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul,
AMEMB, Unit 15550 (mailing address is APO AP 96205-0001); telephone [82] (2)
732-2601 through 2618; FAX [82] (2) 738-8845; there is a US Consulate in
Pusan
Flag:
white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a
different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each
corner of the white field
:Korea, South Economy
Overview:
The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned
development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial
society. Real GNP has increased more than 10% annually over the past six
years. This growth has led to an overheated situation characterized by a
tight labor market, strong inflationary pressures, and a rapidly rising
current account deficit. Policymakers have stated they will focus attention
on slowing inflation. In any event, the economy will remain the envy of the
great majority of the world's peoples.
GNP:
purchasing power equivalent - $273 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth
rate 8.7% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.7% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
2.4% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $44 billion; expenditures $44 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
$71.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
textiles, clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear,
machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, fish
partners:
US 26%, Japan 18% (1991)
Imports:
$81.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport
equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
partners:
Japan 26%, US 23% (1991)
External debt:
$38.2 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 7.5% (1991 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP
Electricity:
24,000,000 kW capacity; 106,000 million kWh produced, 2,460 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals, steel,
electronics, automobile production, shipbuilding
Agriculture:
accounts for 8% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and
forestry); principal crops - rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit;
livestock and livestock products - cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs;
self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric
tons, seventh-largest in world
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries
(1970-89), $3.0 billion
Currency:
South Korean won (plural - won); 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon
(theoretical)
Exchange rates:
South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 766.66 (January 1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76
(1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987)
:Korea, South Economy
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Korea, South Communications
Railroads:
3,106 km operating in 1983; 3,059 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km
0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km double track, 418 km electrified;
government owned
Highways:
62,936 km total (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and
local roads
Inland waterways:
1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Pipelines:
petroleum products 455 km
Ports:
Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan
Merchant marine:
435 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,924,818 GRT/11,389,397 DWT;
includes 2 short-sea passenger, 140 cargo, 53 container, 11 refrigerated
cargo, 9 vehicle carrier, 42 petroleum tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 14
liquefied gas, 5 combination ore/oil, 145 bulk, 3 combination bulk, 1
multifunction large-load carrier
Civil air:
93 major transport aircraft
Airports:
105 total, 97 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
adequate domestic and international services; 4,800,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite
earth stations - 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
:Korea, South Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Marines Corps, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 13,131,113; 8,456,428 fit for military service; 448,450 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $12.6 billion, 4.5% of GNP (1992 budget)
:Kuwait Geography
Total area:
17,820 km2
Land area:
17,820 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
462 km; Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline:
499 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specific
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution
687, which demands that Iraq accept the inviolability of the boundary set
forth in its 1963 agreement with Kuwait, ending earlier claims to Bubiyan
and Warbah Islands or to all of Kuwait; a UN Boundary Demarcation Commission
is demarcating the Iraq-Kuwait boundary persuant to Resolution 687, and, on
17 June 1992, the UN Security Council reaffirmed the finality of the
Boundary Demarcation Commission's decisions; ownership of Qaruh and Umm al
Maradim Islands disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate:
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain:
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use:
arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and
woodland NEGL%; other 92%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities
provide most of water; air and water pollution; desertification
Note:
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
:Kuwait People