Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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An independent kingdom under Chinese suzerainty for most of the past millennium, Korea was occupied by Japan 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 domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed republic in the southern portion by force, North Korea, under its founder President KIM Il Sung, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. It 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 KIM's successor in 1980 and assumed a growing political and managerial role until his father's death in 1994. He assumed full power without opposition. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the North since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international 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. In December 2002, following revelations it was pursuing a nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a 1994 agreement with the United States to freeze and ultimately dismantle its existing plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January 2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium) and was developing a "nuclear deterrent." From August 2003, North Korea has participated on and off in six-party talks with the China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United States to resolve the stalemate over its nuclear programs.
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Location:
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Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
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Geographic coordinates:
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40 00 N, 127 00 E
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Map references:
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Asia
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Area:
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total: 120,540 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km
water: 130 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Mississippi
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
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Coastline:
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2,495 km
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Maritime claims:
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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
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Climate:
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temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
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Terrain:
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mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
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Natural resources:
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coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 20.76%
permanent crops: 2.49%
other: 76.75% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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14,600 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall
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Environment - current issues:
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water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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Geography - note:
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strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
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Population:
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22,912,177 (July 2005 est.)
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Age structure:
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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.)
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Median age:
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total: 31.74 years
male: 30.47 years
female: 33 years (2005 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.9% (2005 est.)
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Birth rate:
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16.09 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Death rate:
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7.05 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.53 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 24.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.37 years
male: 68.65 years
female: 74.22 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.15 children born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
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Ethnic groups:
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racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
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Religions:
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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
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Languages:
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Korean
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
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Country name:
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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
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Government type:
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Communist state one-man dictatorship
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Capital:
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Pyongyang
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Administrative divisions:
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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)
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Independence:
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15 August 1945 (from Japan)
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National holiday:
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Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948)
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Constitution:
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adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998
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Legal system:
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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
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Suffrage:
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17 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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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
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Legislative branch:
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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
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Judicial branch:
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Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
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Political parties and leaders:
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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)
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none
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International organization participation:
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ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power)
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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. The nation has suffered its eleventh year of food shortages because of a lack of arable land, collective farming, weather-related problems, and chronic shortages of fertilizer and fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the regime to escape mass starvation since 1995, but the population remains the victim of prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. In July 2002, the government took limited steps toward a freer market economy. In 2004, heightened political tensions with key donor countries and general donor fatigue threatened the flow of desperately needed food aid and fuel aid. Black market prices have continued to rise following the increase in official prices and wages in the summer of 2002, leaving some vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and unemployed, less able to buy goods. In 2004, the regime allowed private markets to sell a wider range of goods and permitted private farming on an experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will constrain any further loosening of economic regulations.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$40 billion (2004 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% (2004 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2004 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 30.2%
industry: 33.8%
services: 36% (2002 est.)
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Labor force:
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9.6 million
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%
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Unemployment rate:
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NA (2003)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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NA (2003 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs
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Industries:
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military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA
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Electricity - production:
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33.62 billion kWh (2002)
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Electricity - consumption:
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31.26 billion kWh (2002)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2002)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2002)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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85,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA
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Oil - imports:
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11,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Exports:
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$1.2 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments); textiles and fishery products
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Exports - partners:
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China 29.9%, South Korea 24.1%, Japan 13.2% (2004)
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Imports:
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$2.1 billion c.i.f. (2003)
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment; textiles, grain
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Imports - partners:
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China 32.9%, Thailand 10.7%, Japan 4.8% (2004)
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Debt - external:
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$12 billion (1996 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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NA; note - over $117 million in food aid through the World Food Program in 2003 plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations
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Currency (code):
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North Korean won (KPW)
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Exchange rates:
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official: North Korean won per US dollar - 170 (December 2004), 150 (December 2002), 2.15 (December 2001); market: North Korean won per US dollar - 300-600 (December 2002)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Railways:
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total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2004)
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Highways:
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total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.)
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Waterways:
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2,250 km
note: most navigable only by small craft (2004)
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Pipelines:
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oil 154 km (2004)
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Ports and harbors:
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Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
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Merchant marine:
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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)
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Airports:
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78 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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.)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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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.)
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Heliports:
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19 (2004 est.)
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Disputes - international:
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China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of North Koreans escaping famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers and a section of boundary around Paektu-san (mountain) is indefinite; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with South over the Northern Limit Line; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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IDPs: 50,000-250,000 (government repression and famine) (2004)
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Illicit drugs:
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for years, from the 1970's into the 2000's, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; in recent years, police investigations in Taiwan and Japan have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003; all indications point to North Korea emerging as an important regional source of illicit drugs targeting markets in Japan, Taiwan, the Russian Far East, and China
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This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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