| GEOGRAPHY |
| 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 |
| Capital: |
Pyongyang |
| 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 |
| 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
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 |
| Elavation
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 |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
Communist state one-man dictatorship |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 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)
: municipalites: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin), Namp'o-si (Namp'o), 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, 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 Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 3 September 2003, 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 President of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials; SPA appointed PAK Pong Ju Premier
head of government: Premier PAK Pong Ju (since 3 September 2003); Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the SPA
elections: election last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September 2008)
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 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly) |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il, general secretary]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong, chairwoman] (under KWP control); Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae, chairman] (under KWP control) |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
22,912,177 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 24.2% (male 2,816,844/female 2,735,478)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 7,668,581/female 7,883,267)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 625,819/female 1,182,188) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 31.74 years
male: 30.47 years
female: 33 years (2005 est.) |
| 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 |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
1.1 million (2001) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
NA |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 850; 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) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
38 (1999) |
| Internet country
code: |
.kp |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
NA |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2003) |
| Highways: |
total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: |
2,250 km
note: most navigable only by small craft (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
oil 154 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: |
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 238 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 985,108 GRT/1,389,389 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 191, container 2, livestock carrier 4, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 5
foreign-owned: 52 (China 1, Denmark 2, France 1, Greece 4, Italy 1, Lebanon 4, Lithuania 1, Netherlands 1, Pakistan 2, Romania 10, Russia 2, Singapore 2, South Korea 2, Syria 9, Turkey 6, Ukraine 1, UAE 3) (2005) |
| Airports: |
78 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 35
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 43
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
19 (2004 est.) |