North Korea Population: 24,720,407

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Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 127 00 E
Area: total: 120,538 sq km
land: 120,408 sq km
water: 130 sq km

Size comparison: slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land Boundaries: total: 1,671.5 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 17.5 km
Coastline: 2,495 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
Land use: arable land: 19.08%
permanent crops: 1.7%
other: 79.22% (2011)
Irrigated land: 14,600 sq km (2003)
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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Nationality: noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Languages: Korean

Population: 24,720,407 (July 2013 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.7% (male 2,726,275/female 2,650,143)
15-24 years: 16.4% (male 2,059,388/female 2,005,987)
25-54 years: 43.8% (male 5,411,221/female 5,415,744)
55-64 years: 8.5% (male 988,922/female 1,108,156)
65 years and over: 9.5% (male 798,363/female 1,556,208) (2013 est.)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 45.2 %
youth dependency ratio: 31.5 %
elderly dependency ratio: 13.7 %
potential support ratio: 7.3 (2013)
Median age: total: 33.2 years
male: 31.6 years
female: 34.8 years (2013 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.53% (2013 est.)
Birth rate: 14.49 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
Death rate: 9.15 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 60.3% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 0.63% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population: PYONGYANG (capital) 2.843 million (2011)
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate: total: 25.34 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.51 years
male: 65.65 years
female: 73.55 years (2013 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 68.6% (2002)
Health expenditures: 2% of GDP (2009)
Physicians density: 3.29 physicians/1,000 population (2003)
Hospital bed density: 13.2 beds/1,000 population (2002)
Drinking water source: improved:
urban: 99% of population
rural: 97% of population
total: 98% of population

urban: 1% of population
rural: 3% of population
total: 2% of population (2010 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved:
urban: 86% of population
rural: 71% of population
total: 80% of population

urban: 14% of population
rural: 29% of population
total: 20% of population (2010 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 3.9% (2008)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 20.6% (2004)
Education expenditures: NA
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2008 est.)
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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
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)
Constitution: adopted 1948; revised several times
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: KIM Jong Un (since 17 December 2011); note - the rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Yong Nam in 2009 president of its Presidium with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials

head of government: Premier PAK Pong-ju (since 2 April 2013); Vice Premiers: HAN Kwang Bok (since 7 June 2010), JO Pyong Ju (since 7 June 2010), JON Ha Chol (since 7 June 2010), KANG Nung Su (since 7 June 2010), KANG Sok Ju (since 23 September 2010), KIM In Sik (since 13 April 2012), KIM Rak Hui (since 7 June 2010), KIM Yong Jin (since 6 January 2012), PAK Su Gil (since 18 September 2009), RI Chol Man (since 13 April 2012), RI Mu Yong (since 31 May 2011), RI Sung Ho (since 13 April 2012), 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 April 2012; date of next election NA

election results: KIM Jong Un elected unopposed

elections: last held on 8 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2014)

Judicial branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Central Court (consists of the chief justice and two "People's Assessors" and for some cases, 3 judges) judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Supreme People's Assembly for 5-year terms

Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation: ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO
National symbol(s): red star
National anthem: name: "Aegukka" (Patriotic Song)
lyrics/music: PAK Se Yong/KIM Won Gyun

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North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment, shortages of spare parts, and poor maintenance. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have stagnated for years at a fraction of pre-1990 levels. Frequent weather-related crop failures aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, poor soil quality, insufficient fertilization, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. Large-scale international food aid deliveries as well as aid from China has allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Since 2002, the government has allowed private "farmers' markets" to begin selling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming - on an experimental basis - in an effort to boost agricultural output. In December 2009, North Korea carried out a redenomination of its currency, capping the amount of North Korean won that could be exchanged for the new notes, and limiting the exchange to a one-week window. A concurrent crackdown on markets and foreign currency use yielded severe shortages and inflation, forcing Pyongyang to ease the restrictions by February 2010. In response to the sinking of the South Korean destroyer Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea's government cut off most aid, trade, and bilateral cooperation activities, with the exception of operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. In 2012, KIM Jong Un's first year of leadership, the North displayed increased focus on the economy by renewing its commitment to special economic zones with China, negotiating a new payment structure to settle its $11 billion Soviet-era debt to Russia, and purportedly proposing new agricultural and industrial policies to boost domestic production. The North Korean government often highlights its goal of becoming a "strong and prosperous" nation and attracting foreign investment, a key factor for improving the overall standard of living. Nevertheless, firm political control remains the government's overriding concern, which likely will inhibit fundamental reforms of North Korea's current economic system.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (purchasing power parity): $40 billion (2011 est.) $40 billion (2010 est.) $40 billion (2009 est.)

note: data are in 2011 US dollars; North Korea does not publish reliable National Income Accounts data; the data shown here are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus MADDISON in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was extrapolated to 2011 using estimated real growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; the results were rounded to the nearest $10 billion.
GDP - real growth rate: 0.8% (2011 est.) -0.5% (2010 est.) -0.9% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,800 (2011 est.) $1,800 (2010 est.) $1,900 (2009 est.)

note: data are in 2011 US dollars
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Labor force: 12.2 million note: estimates vary widely (2009 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 35% industry and
services: 65% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget: revenues: $3.2 billion
expenditures: $3.3 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Exports: $4.707 billion (2011) $3.704 billion (2011 est.)
Exports - partners: China 67.2%, South Korea 19.4%, India 3.6% (2011 est.)
Imports: $4.33 billion (2011 est.) $2.934 billion (2010 est.)
Imports - partners: China 61.6%, South Korea 20%, European Union 4% (2011 est.)
Debt - external: $12.5 billion (2001 est.)
Exchange rates: North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar (market rate) 155.5 (2012 est.) 156.1 (2011 est.) 145 (2010 est.) 3,630 (December 2008) 140 (2007)
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Electricity - production: 20.45 billion kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Electricity - consumption: 17.12 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 9.5 million kW (2009 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 47.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 52.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 8,432 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 9,133 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 15,070 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 7,967 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: 63.69 million Mt (2010 est.)
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Telephones in use: 1.18 million (2011)
country comparison to the world: 71
Cellular Phones in use: 1 million (2011)

domestic: fiber-optic links installed down to the county level; telephone directories unavailable; GSM mobile-cellular service initiated in 2002 but suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom Holding, an Egyptian company, launched W-CDMA mobile service on 15 December 2008 for the Pyongyang area, has expanded service to several large cities and now has a 1-million-person subscriber base

Broadcast media: no independent media; radios and TVs are pre-tuned to government stations; 4 government-owned TV stations; the Korean Workers' Party owns and operates the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, and the state-run Voice of Korea operates an external broadcast service; the government prohibits listening to and jams foreign broadcasts (2008)
Internet country code: .kp
Internet hosts: 8 (2012)
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Airports: 82 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 67
Airports (paved runways): total 39
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2013)
Airports (unpaved runways): total 43

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 8 (2013)
Heliports: 23 (2013)
Pipelines: oil 6 km (2013)
Railways: total 5,242 km
standard gauge: 5,242 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2009)
Roadways: total 25,554 km
paved: 724 km
unpaved: 24,830 km (2006)
Merchant marine: total 158



Ports and terminals: Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Namp'o, Senbong, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Wonsan
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Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 6,515,279
females age 16-49: 6,418,693 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 4,836,567
females age 16-49: 5,230,137 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: male: 207,737
female: 204,553 (2010 est.)
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   Source: CIA - The World Factbook


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