about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
Environment-current issues: none
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed
to the public
@Kingman Reef:People
Population: uninhabited
@Kingman Reef:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Kingman Reef
Data code: KQ
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered
from Washington, DC by the US Navy; however, it is awash the majority
of the time, so it is not usable and is uninhabited
National capital: none; administered from Washington, DC
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
@Kingman Reef:Economy
Economy-overview: no economic activity
@Kingman Reef:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and
American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and
1938
@Kingman Reef:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Kingman Reef:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
KIRIBATI
@Kiribati:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling
the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia;
note-on 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International
Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost
islands and make it the same day throughout the country
Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 717 sq km
land: 717 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes three island groups-Gilbert Islands, Line Islands,
Phoenix Islands
Area-comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,143 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m
Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: 51%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 46% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to
March; occasional tornadoes
Environment-current issues: heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa
atoll due to heavy migration mixed with traditional practices such as
lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean
Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands
in the Pacific Ocean-the others are Makatea in French Polynesia and
Nauru
@Kiribati:People
Population: 83,976 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 1.82% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 26.46 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 7.62 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 49.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.61 years
male: 60.79 years
female: 64.68 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.13 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
adjective: I-Kiribati
Ethnic groups: Micronesian
Religions: Roman Catholic 53%, Protestant (Congregational) 41%,
Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha'i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985 est.)
Languages: English (official), Gilbertese
Literacy: NA
@Kiribati:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati
note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands
Data code: KR
Government type: republic
National capital: Tarawa
Administrative divisions: 3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands,
Phoenix Islands
note: in addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts,
Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21
island councils-one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang,
Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton,
Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa,
Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)
Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Constitution: 12 July 1979
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October
1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since
12 October 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1
October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA
(since 12 October 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of
the House of Assembly, includes the president, vice president,
attorney general, and up to eight other ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
note-the House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates from
among their members and then those candidates compete in a general
election; election last held 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA
September 1998); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Teburoro TITO elected president; percent of
vote-Teburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA 18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%,
Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni
Maungatabu (41 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio
member, and one nominated to represent Banaba; members serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-Maneaban
Te Mauri Party 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges at all levels are appointed
by the president; High Court, judges at all levels are appointed by
the president; 26 Magistrates' courts judges at all levels are
appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party, Teatao
TEANNAKI; New Movement Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka
TENTOA; Maneaban Te Mauri Party, Teburoro TITO
note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties in
Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups
because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party
structures
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol,
ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Kiribati does not have an embassy
in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy
in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands is accredited to
Kiribati
Flag description: the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird
flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three
horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
@Kiribati:Economy
Economy-overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls,
Kiribati has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate
deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in
1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports.
The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP growth has
declined from about 10% in 1988 to about 2.6% in 1995 and 1.9% in
1996. Growth in 1997 was expected to parallel the 1996 performance.
Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers,
weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. The
financial sector is at an early stage of development as is the
expansion of private sector initiatives. Foreign financial aid,
largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal
in amount to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances from workers
abroad account for more than $5 million each year.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$62 million (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 1.9% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$800 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 7%
services: 79% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: -0.6% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers
(1985 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $33.3 million
expenditures: $47.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
million (1996 est.)
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1992 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 2,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 7 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 88 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes,
vegetables; fish
Exports:
total value: $6.7 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: copra 62%, seaweed, fish
partners: US, Australia, NZ (1996)
Imports:
total value: $37.4 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous
manufactured goods, fuel
partners: Australia 46%, Fiji, Japan, NZ, US (1996)
Debt-external: $7.2 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $4.725 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $2.175
million from NZ (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1-1.5281 (January
1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994),
1.4704 (1993)
Fiscal year: NA
Communications
Telephones: 1,400 (1984 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative
Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 15,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 0 (1988 est.)
@Kiribati:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 670 km (1996 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
Ports and harbors: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,248 GRT/4,496 DWT
ships by type: oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 21 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)
@Kiribati:Military
Military branches: no regular military forces; Police Force (carries
out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police
posts are on all islands)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Kiribati:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
KOREA, NORTH
@Korea, North:Geography
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 references: Asia
Area:
total: 120,540 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km
water: 130 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries:
total: 1,673 km
border countries: 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
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: 14%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 61%
other: 23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 14,600 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: late spring droughts often followed by severe
flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall
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
Geography-note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and
Russia; mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and
sparsely populated
@Korea, North:People
Population: 21,234,387 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 2,800,857; female 2,669,250)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,089,039; female 7,406,901)
65 years and over: 6% (male 387,011; female 881,329) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.03% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 15.3 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 15.57 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
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: 0.44 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 87.83 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.32 years
male: 48.88 years
female: 53.88 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese
community and a few ethnic Japanese
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
Languages: Korean
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)
@Korea, North:Government
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
Government type: Communist state; one-man dictatorship
National 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)
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: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (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
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: KIM Chong-il [de facto]; note-President KIM Il-song
was reelected without opposition 24 May 1990 and died 8 July 1994,
leaving his son KIM Chong-il as designated successor; KIM Chong-il
became General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party on 8 October
1997, but has not assumed the presidency
head of government: KANG Song-san is premier, but is in ill health;
Vice Premier HONG Song-nam has been acting premier since NA February
1997
cabinet: State Administration Council 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 7-9 April 1990 (next to be held NA); note-the
term of the Assembly expired in April 1995 without a new election and
it has not been convened since the death of KIM Il-song in July 1994
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: major party-Korean Workers' Party
(KWP), KIM Chong-il, General Secretary; Korean Social Democratic
Party, KIM Pyong-sik, chairman; Chondoist Chongu Party, YU Mi-yong,
chairwoman
International organization participation: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, 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
Diplomatic representation from the US: none
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
@Korea, North:Economy
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 in
the past and now his son, KIM Chong-il. Economic growth during the
period 1984-88 averaged 2%-3%, but output declined by an average of
4%-5% or more annually during 1989-97 because of systemic problems and
disruptions in economic and technological links with the former USSR
and China. The leadership has insisted on 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 World War II. 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
is not yet self-sufficient in food production. Indeed, a shortage of
arable lands, several years of poor harvests, systemic inefficiencies,
a cumbersome distribution system, and extensive floods in 1995-96
followed by a severe drought in 1997 have resulted in increasingly
serious food shortages. Substantial grain shipments from Japan and
South Korea are offsetting a portion of the losses. North Korea
remains far behind South Korea in economic development and living
standards.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$21.8 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: -3.7% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$900 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 60%
services: 15% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: NA%
Labor force:
total: 9.615 million
by occupation: agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $19.3 billion
expenditures: $19.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1992 est.)
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.)
Electricity-capacity: 9.5 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 35.2 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,499 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle,
pigs, pork, eggs
Exports:
total value: $912 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and
fishery products, manufactures (including armaments)
partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia
Imports:
total value: $1.95 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities: petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment,
consumer goods
partners: China, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Russia, Singapore
Debt-external: $12 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: an estimated $200 million to $300 million in aid from US,
South Korea, Japan, and EU in 1997
Currency: 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
Exchange rates: 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)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 30,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: system is believed to be available principally for
government business
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and
1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region); other international connections
through Moscow and Beijing
Radio broadcast stations: AM 18, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 3.5 million
Television broadcast stations: 11
Televisions: 400,000 (1992 est.)
@Korea, North:Transportation
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 (standard and broad gauge) (1996 est.)
Highways:
total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
Pipelines: crude oil 37 km
Ports and harbors: Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek,
Kosong, Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi),
Ungsang, Wonsan