colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific
War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major
US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943.
The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and
complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US
relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line
Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
Geography ::Kiribati
Location:
Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling
the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about half way between Hawaii and
Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed that all of
its territory was in the same time zone as its Gilbert Islands group
(UTC +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands under
its jurisdiction were on the other side of the International Date
Line
Geographic coordinates:
1 25 N, 173 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 811 sq km
country comparison to the world: 186
land: 811 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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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 elevation on Banaba 81 m
Natural resources:
phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Land use:
arable land: 2.74%
permanent crops: 47.95%
other: 49.31% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them
sensitive to changes in sea level
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, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
21 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
People ::Kiribati
Population:
99,482 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.6% (male 21,488/female 20,899)
15-64 years: 59% (male 32,871/female 33,690)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 1,656/female 2,246) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.2 years
male: 21.4 years
female: 23 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.271% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Birth rate:
23.06 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Death rate:
7.48 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Net migration rate:
-2.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 184
Urbanization:
urban population: 44% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 40.13 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 66
male: 41.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 38.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.03 years
country comparison to the world: 171
male: 61.68 years
female: 66.49 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.86 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
adjective: I-Kiribati
Ethnic groups:
Micronesian 98.8%, other 1.2% (2000 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 55%, Protestant 36%, Mormon 3.1%, Bahai 2.2%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 1.9%, other 1.8% (2005 census)
Languages:
I-Kiribati, English (official)
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 13 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
17.8% of GDP (2002)
country comparison to the world: 1
Government ::Kiribati
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati
local long form: Republic of Kiribati
local short form: Kiribati
note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Tarawa
geographic coordinates: 1 19 N, 172 58 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
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 the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Constitution:
12 July 1979
Legal system:
English common law supplemented by local, customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
President Teima ONORIO; note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
President Teima ONORIO
cabinet: 12-member cabinet appointed by the president from among the
members of the House of Parliament
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential
candidates from among its members and then those candidates compete
in a general election; president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term (eligible for two more terms); election last held on
17 October 2007 (next to be held in 2011); vice president appointed
by the president
election results: Anote TONG 63.7%, Nabuti MWEMWENIKARAWA 32.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats;
44 members elected by popular vote, 1 ex officio member - the
attorney general, 1 nominated by the Rabi Council of Leaders
(representing Banaba Island); members serve four-year terms)
elections: legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first
round on 22 August 2007 and the second round on 30 August 2007 (next
to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
NA, other 2 (includes attorney general)
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all
levels are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:
Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te
Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP;
National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry TONG]
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
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, ITUC, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
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 US ambassador to
Fiji 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 Pacific ocean; the white stripes
represent the three island groups - the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix
Islands; the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and
Banaba (formerly Ocean Island); the frigate bird symbolizes
authority and freedom
National anthem:
name: "Teirake kaini Kiribati" (Stand Up, Kiribati)
lyrics/music: Urium Tamuera IOTEBA
note: adopted 1979
Economy ::Kiribati
Economy - overview:
A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few
natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Islands.
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. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of
skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from
international markets. Tourism provides more than one-fifth of GDP.
Private sector initiatives and a financial sector are in the early
stages of development. Foreign financial aid from the EU, UK, US,
Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UN agencies, and Taiwan
accounts for 20-25% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant
ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati
receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from
an Australian trust fund.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$619.5 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
$610.4 million (2009 est.)
$614.7 million (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$152 million (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
-0.7% (2009 est.)
-1.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,200 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
$6,200 (2009 est.)
$6,300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 8.9%
industry: 24.2%
services: 66.8% (2004)
Labor force:
7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001
est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 32%
services: 65.3% (2000)
Unemployment rate:
2% (1992 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish
Industries:
fishing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
14 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
Electricity - consumption:
13.02 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
Oil - consumption:
NA bbl/day (2009 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Oil - imports:
261 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Current account balance:
-$21 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Exports:
$17 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
Exports - commodities:
copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish
Imports:
$62 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured
goods, fuel
Debt - external:
$10 million (1999 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.1151 (2010), 1.2822
(2009), 1.2059 (2008), 1.2137 (2007), 1.3285 (2006)
Communications ::Kiribati
Telephones - main lines in use:
4,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 216
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 217
Telephone system:
general assessment: generally good quality national and
international service
domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati
(Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF
radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999
international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the
Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should
improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Pacific Ocean)
Broadcast media:
1 television broadcast station that provides about 1 hour of local
programming Monday-Friday; multi-channel TV packages provide access
to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station
broadcasting on AM, FM, and shortwave (2009)
Internet country code:
.ki
Internet hosts:
31 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 214
Internet users:
7,800 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 203
Transportation ::Kiribati
Airports:
19 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 137
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 670 km (2000)
country comparison to the world: 189
Waterways:
5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands) (2007)
country comparison to the world: 109
Merchant marine:
total: 71
country comparison to the world: 61
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 32, chemical tanker 6,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 15
foreign-owned: 51 (China 28, Hong Kong 1, Italy 1, Singapore 11,
South Korea 2, Taiwan 5, Turkey 3) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Betio (Tarawa Atoll), Canton Island, English Harbor
Military ::Kiribati
Military branches:
no regular military forces (constitutionally prohibited); Police
Force (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 24,734 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,941
females age 16-49: 19,758 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,107
female: 1,083 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
NA
Military - note:
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is
provided by Australia and NZ
Transnational Issues ::Kiribati
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Korea, North (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Korea, North
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 tests of nuclear devices
in 2006 and 2009, and massive conventional armed forces are of major
concern to the international community.
Geography ::Korea, North
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: 120,538 sq km
country comparison to the world: 98
land: 120,408 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
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
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: 22.4%
permanent crops: 1.66%
other: 75.94% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,600 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
77.1 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 9.02 cu km/yr (20%/25%/55%)
per capita: 401 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional
typhoons during the early fall
volcanism: Changbaishan (elev. 2,744 m, 9,003 ft) (also known as
Baitoushan, Baegdu or P'aektu-san), on the Chinese border, is
considered historically active
Environment - current issues:
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne
disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia;
mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
People ::Korea, North
Population:
22,757,275 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.3% (male 2,440,439/female 2,376,557)
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) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.9 years
male: 32.5 years
female: 35.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.389% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
Birth rate:
14.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
Death rate:
10.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Net migration rate:
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Urbanization:
urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 50.15 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 51
male: 57.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.13 years
country comparison to the world: 170
male: 61.53 years
female: 66.89 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.94 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:
racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few
ethnic Japanese
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
Languages:
Korean
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Korea, North
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 (Pyongyang)
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 most recently in 2009
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
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); 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 2009 president of its Presidium also with responsibility of
representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials
head of government: Premier CHOE Yong Rim (since 7 June 2010); Vice
Premier HAN Kwang Bok (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier JO Pyong Ju
(since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier JON Ha Chol (since 7 June 2010),
Vice Premier KANG Nung Su (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier KIM Rak
Hui (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier PAK Su Gil (since 18 September
2009), Vice Premier RI Thae Nam (since 7 June 2010); 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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: last election 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 on 8 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2014)