Country Information Database


Korea, North Country Information

Korea, North
Flag of Korea, North
Map of Korea, North
Introduction Korea, North
Geography Korea, North
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 127 00 E
Map references:
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
2,495 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
Natural resources:
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):
per capita: 401 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
People Korea, North
23,479,088 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.9% (male 2,733,352/female 2,654,186)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 7,931,484/female 8,083,626)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male 751,401/female 1,325,040) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 32.7 years
male: 31.2 years
female: 34.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.732% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
14.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
7.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.46 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.2 years
male: 69.45 years
female: 75.08 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
Education expenditures:
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
name: Pyongyang
geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E
Administrative divisions:
municipalities: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin-Sonbong), Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998
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
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
head of government: Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003), THAE Jong Su (since 16 October 2007)
elections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September 2008)
Legislative branch:
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]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Flag description:
Economy Korea, North
Economy - overview:
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 and shortages of spare parts. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel from pre-1990 levels. Due in part to severe summer flooding followed by dry weather conditions in the fall of 2006, the nation suffered its 13th year of food shortages because of on-going systemic problems including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. During the summer of 2007, severe flooding again occurred. Large-scale international food aid deliveries have 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. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Since 2002, the government has formalized an arrangement whereby private "farmers' markets" were allowed 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 October 2005, the government tried to reverse some of these policies by forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food rationing system. By December 2005, the government terminated most international humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities of remaining international and non-governmental aid organizations such as the World Food Program. External food aid now comes primarily from China and South Korea in the form of grants and long-term concessional loans. During the October 2007 summit, South Korea also agreed to develop some of North Korea's infrastructure and natural resources and light industry. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$40 billion
GDP (official exchange rate):
$25.96 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 23.3%
industry: 43.1%
services: 33.6% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
20 million
note: estimates vary widely (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 37%
industry and services: 63% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
revenues: $2.88 billion $NA
expenditures: $2.98 billion $NA
Agriculture - products:
Industrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:
22.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 29%
hydro: 71%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
18.57 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007)
Oil - production:
141 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
10,520 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2006)
Oil - imports:
10,520 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
NA bbl
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2007)
$1.466 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Exports - partners:
China 31.4%, Venezuela 14.8%, Brazil 6.8%, Lebanon 4.8% (2006)
$2.879 billion c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain
Imports - partners:
China 43.6%, Algeria 11.9%, Russia 7.1%, Thailand 5.6%, South Africa 4.3% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$372 million
Debt - external:
$12.5 billion (2001 est.)
Currency (code):
North Korean won (KPW)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
official: North Korean won per US dollar - 140 (2007), 141 (2006), 170 (December 2004), market: North Korean won per US dollar - 2,500-3,000 (December 2006)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Korea, North
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.18 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting Station; North Korea has a "national intercom" cable radio station wired throughout the country that is a significant source of information for the average North Korean citizen; it is wired into most residences and workplaces and carries news and commentary), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2006)
3.36 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting South Korea) (2003)
1.2 million (1997)
Internet country code:
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
Transportation Korea, North
77 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 41
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 7 (2007)
23 (2007)
oil 154 km (2007)
total: 5,235 km
standard gauge: 5,235 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)
total: 25,554 km
paved: 724 km
unpaved: 24,830 km (2006)
2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 163 ships (1000 GRT or over) 790,427 GRT/1,153,404 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 123, carrier 1, chemical tanker 1, container 3, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 19 (Egypt 1, Greece 2, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 1, Pakistan 1, Romania 4, Syria 2, UAE 5, Yemen 2)
registered in other countries: 1 (Mongolia 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Military Korea, North
Military branches:
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,225,747
females age 16-49: 6,188,270 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,141,240
females age 16-49: 5,139,447 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 199,628
female: 192,388 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
Transnational Issues Korea, North
Disputes - international:
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: undetermined (flooding in mid-2007 and famine during mid-1990s) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the most common form of trafficking involves North Korean women and girls who cross the border into China voluntarily; additionally, North Korean women and girls are lured out of North Korea to escape poor social and economic conditions by the promise of food, jobs, and freedom, only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements once in China
tier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not acknowledge the existence of human rights abuses in the country or recognize trafficking, either within the country or transnationally; North Korea has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
Illicit drugs:

This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008 Access Time: Wed, 26 Jan 2022 16:23:57 +0000