Country name: Kyrgyz Republic conventional short form: Republic local
long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
Government type: republic
Capital: Bishkek
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces (oblastlar, singular - oblasty) and
1 city* (shaar); Batken Oblasty, Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek),
Jalal-Abad Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty, Ysyk-Kol
Oblasty (Karakol) note: administrative divisions have the same names as
their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)
Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 August (1991)
Constitution: adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by
President AKAYEV and passed in a national referendum on 10 February
1996 significantly expands the powers of the president at the expense
of the legislature
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Askar AKAYEV (since
28 October 1990) head of government: Prime Minister Nikolay TANAYEV
(since 22 May 2002); note - Prime Minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV resigned
on 22 May 2002 when five demonstrators were killed in clashes with
the police cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
on the recommendation of the prime minister election results: Askar
AKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Askar AKAYEV 74%, Omurbek
TEKEBAYEV 14%, other candidates 12%; note - election marred by serious
irregularities elections: president reelected by popular vote for a
five-year term; elections last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held
November or December 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral Supreme Council or Zhogorku Kenesh consists
of the Assembly of People's Representatives (70 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Legislative Assembly
(35 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: Assembly of People's Representatives - percent of vote
by party - NA%; percent of vote by party - NA; and Legislative Assembly -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - total seats
by party in the Supreme Council were as follows: Union of Democratic
Forces 12, Communists 6, My Country Party of Action 4, independents 73,
other 10 note: the legislature became bicameral for the 5 February
1995 elections; the 2000 election results include both the Assembly
of People's Representatives and the Legislative Assembly elections:
March 2000 (next to be held NA February 2005); Legislative Assembly -
last held 20 February and 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA February 2005)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed for 10-year
terms by the Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president);
Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration
Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Labor Party of Kyrgyzstan [Uson
S. SYDYKOV]; Agrarian Party of Kyrgyzstan [Arkin ALIYEV]; Ata-Meken or
Fatherland [Omurbek TEKEBAYEV]; Banner National Revival Party or ASABA
[Chaprashty BAZARBAY]; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar
JEKSHEYEV]; Democratic Women's Party of Kyrgyzstan [T. A. SHAILIYEVA];
Dignity Party [Feliks KULOV]; Erkin Kyrgyzstan Progressive and Democratic
Party [Tursunbay Bakir UULU]; Justice Party [Chingiz AYTMATOV]; Movement
for the People's Salvation [Jumgalbek AMAMBAYEV]; Mutual Help Movement
or Ashar [Jumagazy USUPOV]; My Country of Action [Almazbek ISMANKULOV];
National Unity Democratic Movement or DDNE [Yury RAZGULYAYEV]; Party of
Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Absamat M. MASALIYEV]; Party of the
Veterans of the War in Afghanistan [leader NA]; Peasant Party [leader NA];
People's Party [Melis ESHIMKANOV]; Republican Popular Party of Kyrgyzstan
[J. SHARSHENALIYEV]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [J. IBRAMOV]; Union
of Democratic Forces (composed of Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan
or PSD [J. IBRAMOV], Economic Revival Party, and Birimdik Party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Council of Free Trade Unions;
Kyrgyz Committee on Human Rights [Ramazan DYRYLDAYEV]; National Unity
Democratic Movement; Union of Entrepreneurs
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM (observer), OIC,
OPCW (signatory), OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bakyt
ABDRISAYEV FAX: [1] (202) 338-5139 consulate(s): New York telephone: [1]
(202) 338-5141 chancery: 1732 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
John M. O'KEEFE embassy: 171 Prospect Mira,
use embassy street address telephone:
Flag description: red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40
rays representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run
counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the sun is
a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized representation
of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt
Economy Kyrgyzstan
Economy - overview: Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor, mountainous country
with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, wool, and meat are
the main agricultural products and exports. Industrial exports include
gold, mercury, uranium, and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has been one of
the most progressive countries of the former Soviet Union in carrying
out market reforms. With fits and starts, inflation has been lowered to
an estimated 7% in 2001. Much of the government's stock in enterprises
has been sold. Drops in production had been severe since the breakup
of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by mid-1995 production began
to recover and exports began to increase. Growth was held down to
2.1% in 1998 largely because of the spillover from Russia's economic
difficulties, but moved ahead to 3.6% in 1999, 5% in 2000, and 5% again
in 2001. Despite these gains, poverty indicators are no better in 2001
than in 1996. On the positive side, the government and the international
financial institutions have embarked on a comprehensive medium-term
poverty reduction and economic growth strategy. In November 2001,
with financing assurance from the Paris Club, the IMF Board approved a
three-year, $93 million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $13.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,800 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38% industry: 27% services:
35% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 55% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40.5 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 2.7 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 55%, industry 15%, services 30%
(2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 7.2% (1999 est.)
Budget: revenues: $207.4 million expenditures: $238.7 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
Industries: small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes,
sawn logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth
metals
Industrial production growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 14.677 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 7.62% hydro: 92.38%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 9.818 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 4.153 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 321 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes,
fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool
Exports: $475 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury,
uranium, hydropower; machinery; shoes
Exports - partners: Germany 28.7%, Uzbekistan 17.7%, Russia 12.9%,
China 8.7%, Kazakhstan 6.6% (2000)
Imports: $420 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: oil and gas, machinery and equipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: Russia 23.9%, Uzbekistan 13.5%, Kazakhstan 10.3%,
US 9.7%, Turkey 4.8% (2000)
Debt - external: $1.6 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $50 million from the US (2001)
Currency: Kyrgyzstani som (KGS)
Currency code: KGS
Exchange rates: soms per US dollar - 47.972 (January 2002), 48.378
(2001), 47.704 (2000), 39.008 (1999), 20.838 (1998), 17.362 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Kyrgyzstan
Telephones - main lines in use: 351,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: poorly developed; about 100,000
unsatisfied applications for household telephones domestic: principally
microwave radio relay; one cellular provider, probably limited to Bishkek
region international: connections with other CIS countries by landline or
microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections with
Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by
the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 14,
shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 520,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: NA (repeater stations throughout the
country relay programs from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey)
(1997)
Televisions: 210,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .kg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Internet users: 51,600 (2001)
Transportation Kyrgyzstan
Railways: total: 370 km in common carrier service; does not include
industrial lines broad gauge: 370 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways: total: 30,300 km (including 140 km of expressways) paved:
22,600 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved:
7,700 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult
to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Waterways: 600 km (1990)
Pipelines: natural gas 200 km
Ports and harbors: Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)
Airports: 50 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: 5 914 to 1,523 m: Military Kyrgyzstan
Military branches: Army, Air and Air Defense, Security Forces, Border
Troops
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,234,457 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,001,274
(2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 50,590
(2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $19.2 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Kyrgyzstan
Disputes - international: territorial dispute with Tajikistan on
southwestern boundary in Isfara Valley area; dispute over access to
Sokh and other Uzbek enclaves in Kyrgyzstan mars progress on boundary
delimitation; disputes over provision of water and hydroelectric power
to Kazakhstan; periodic target of Islamic insurgents from Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan, and Afghanistan
Illicit drugs: limited illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy,
mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program;
increasingly used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia
and Western Europe from Southwest Asia
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Korea, North
Introduction
Korea, North
Background: Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern
half coming under Communist domination and the southern portion becoming
Western oriented. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his father
and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, 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 about 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile
development and research into nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons
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: 120,540 sq km water: 130 sq km land: 120,410 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: 14% permanent crops: 3% other: 83% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 14,600 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding;
occasional typhoons during the early fall
Environment - current issues: water pollution; inadequate supplies
of potable water; water-borne disease; deforestation; soil erosion
and degradation
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 and sparsely populated
People Korea, North
Population: 22,224,195 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.4% (male 2,888,478; female 2,747,133)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 7,380,183; female 7,612,275) 65 years and over:
7.2% (male 527,256; female 1,068,870) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.1% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 17.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 6.96 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.49 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 22.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 74.44 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.22 children born/woman (2002 est.)
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: age 15 and over can read and write Korean total population:
Government Korea, North
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of
Korea conventional short form: North Korea local short form: none local
long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk note: the North Koreans
generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country abbreviation:
DPRK
Government type: authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship
Capital: P'yongyang
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4
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), Najin Sonbong-si*, 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: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday: Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK), 9 September (1948)
Constitution: adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972,
revised again in April 1992 and September 1998
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 (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 Yong-nam was named President of the Supreme
People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility of representing
the state and receiving diplomatic credentials elections: premier elected
by the Supreme People's Assembly; election last held NA September 1998
(next to be held NA) election results: HONG Song-nam elected premier;
percent of Supreme People's Assembly vote - NA% cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak),
members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed
by the Supreme People's Assembly head of government: Premier HONG Song-nam
(since 5 September 1998); Vice Premiers CHO Ch'ang-tok (since NA),
KWAK Pom-ki (since NA), Sin IL-nam (since NA April 2002)
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: 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: Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong,
chairwoman]; Korean Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong-tae, chairman];
major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Chong-il, General
Secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ARF (dialogue partner), ESCAP,
FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, 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
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (Swedish Embassy in
P'yongyang 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
Economy Korea, North
Economy - overview: North Korea, one of the world's most
centrally planned and isolated economies, faces desperate economic
conditions. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a
result of years of underinvestment and spare parts shortages. Industrial
and power output have declined in parallel. Despite a good harvest in
2001, the nation faces its eighth year of food shortages because of
a lack of arable land; collective farming; weather-related problems,
including major drought in 2000; and chronic shortages of fertilizer
and fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the
regime to escape mass starvation since 1995-96, but the population
remains vulnerable to prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living
conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for
investment and civilian consumption. In 2001, the regime placed emphasis
on earning hard currency, developing information technology, addressing
power shortages, and attracting foreign aid, but in no way at the expense
of relinquishing central control over key national assets or undergoing
widespread market-oriented reforms.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $21.8 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: -3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30% industry: 42% services:
28% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Labor force: 9.6 million
Labor force - by occupation: agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures
of $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
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 33.4 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 32.63% hydro: 67.37%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 31.062 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle,
pigs, pork, eggs
Exports: $708 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures
(including armaments); agricultural and fishery products
Exports - partners: Japan 40%, South Korea 24%, Hong Kong 7%, China 6%,
France 4%, Germany 4% (2000)
Imports: $1.686 billion (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment;
consumer goods, grain
Imports - partners: China 38%, Japan 17%, South Korea 8%, Hong Kong 6%,
Germany 4.5% (2000)
Debt - external: $12 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $NA; note - nearly $300 million in food aid
alone from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 2001 plus much additional
aid from the UN and non-governmental organizations
Currency: North Korean won (KPW)
Currency code: KPW
Exchange rates: official: North Korean won per US dollar - 2.15
(December 2001), 2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September
1991), 2.1 (January 1990); market: North Korean won per US dollar - 200
(December 2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Korea, North
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.1 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: NA
Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international:
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian
Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 14, shortwave 12 (1999)
Radios: 3.36 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 38 (1999)
Televisions: 1.2 million (1997)
Internet country code: .kp
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: NA
Transportation Korea, North