Chapter XXXI: Front Matter (31)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (male 2,845,727; female 2,763,800)
15-64 years: 67.8% (male 7,485,310; female 7,746,603)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 541,155; female 1,083,886) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.1 years
male: 30 years
female: 32.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.07% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
17.61 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.93 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
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: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 27.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.79 years
male: 68.1 years
female: 73.61 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.25 children born/woman (2003 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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%

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:
Pyongyang

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* (Pyongyang 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 - on 3
September 2003, KIM Chong-il was reelected Chairman of the National
Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest
administrative authority"; KIM Yong-nam was reelected 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 PAK Pong-chu (since 3 September 2003);
Vice Premiers KWAK Pom-ki (since 5 September 1998), CHON Sung-hun
(since 3 September 2003), NO Tu-chol (since 3 September 2003)

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; the KWP 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:
Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; 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. The nation has suffered its tenth
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 the victim of
prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living conditions.
Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for
investment and civilian consumption. Recently, the regime has 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. In 2003, heightened political tensions with key donor
countries and general donor fatigue have held down the flow of
desperately needed food aid and have threatened fuel aid as well.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $22.26 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30.4%
industry: 32.3%
services: 37.3% (2000 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:
30.01 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 29%
hydro: 71%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
27.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
85,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs

Exports:
$842 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities:
minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including
armaments); textiles and fishery products

Exports - partners:
China 23.5%, Japan 19.9%, Costa Rica 12.4%, Brazil 6.5% (2002)

Imports:
$1.314 billion c.i.f. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities:
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment; textiles, grain

Imports - partners:
China 24.9%, Brazil 12.1%, India 9.2%, Thailand 9.2%, Germany 7.8%,
Japan 7.1%, Singapore 4.5%, Qatar 4% (2002)

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 - 150 (December 2002),
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 - 300-600 (December 2002), 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

Railways:
total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 4,549 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 665 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
2,253 km
note: mostly navigable by small craft only

Pipelines:
oil 136 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin,
Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan

Merchant marine:
total: 149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 881,276 GRT/1,309,547 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 1, Greece 2, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 120, combination bulk 2, container 1,
multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo
1, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 4, short-sea passenger 2

Airports:
72 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 34
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 7 (2002)

Military Korea, North

Military branches:
Korean People's Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil
Security Forces

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,103,615 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,654,223 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 180,875 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$5,217.4 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
33.9% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Korea, North

Disputes - international:
with China, certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers are in
uncontested dispute; a section of boundary around Paektu-san
(mountain) is indefinite; China objects to illegal migration of
North Koreans into northern China; Military Demarcation Line within
the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South
Korea since 1953

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Korea, South

Introduction Korea, South

Background:
After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of
the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was
installed in the north. During the Korean War (1950-1953), US and
other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean
attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953,
splitting the Peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th
parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth
with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North
Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its
political processes. In June 2000, a historic first North-South
summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the
North's leader KIM Chong-il.

Geography Korea, South

Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Geographic coordinates:
37 00 N, 127 30 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km
water: 290 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Indiana

Land boundaries:
total: 238 km
border countries: North Korea 238 km

Coastline:
2,413 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m

Natural resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 17.44%
permanent crops: 2.05%
other: 80.51% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
11,590 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic
activity common in southwest

Environment - current issues:
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the
discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
strategic location on Korea Strait

People Korea, South

Population:
48,289,037 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.6% (male 5,256,451; female 4,703,853)
15-64 years: 71.5% (male 17,527,407; female 16,991,229)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,512,157; female 2,297,940) (2003
est.)

Median age:
total: 33.2 years
male: 32.2 years
female: 34.2 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
0.66% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
12.6 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
6.03 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.36 years
male: 71.73 years
female: 79.32 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
220 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups:
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions:
Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo
(Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%

Languages:
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 99.3%
female: 97% (2003 est.)

Government Korea, South

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea
local short form: none
note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to
their country
local long form: Taehan-min'guk
abbreviation: ROK

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Seoul

Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities*
(gwangyoksi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto,
Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo,
Inch'on-gwangyoksi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do,
Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*,
Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*,
Ulsan-gwangyoksi*

Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National holiday:
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Constitution:
17 July 1948

Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President NO Mu-hyun (ROH Moo-hyun) (since 25
February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (KOH Kun) (since 27
February 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Chin-p'yo (KIM Jin-pyo)
(since 27 February 2003) and YUN Tok-hong (since 6 March 2003)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year
term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held NA
December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's
recommendation
election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - NO
Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of
vote - NO Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-ch'ang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227
elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms);
note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected;
possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in
the National Assembly
elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8; note - the distribution of seats
as of April 2003 was: GNP 153, MDP 101, ULD 11, DPP 1, PPR 1,
independents 5; one seat vacant

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the
consent of the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic People's Party or DPP [leader NA]; Grand National Party
or GNP [CH'OE Pyong-ryol, chairman]; Millennium Democratic Party or
MDP [CHO Sun-hyong, chairman]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM
Chong-p'il, president]; Uri Party [KIM Kun-t'ae, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of
Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;
National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of
Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National
Federation of Student Associations

International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
Australia Group, BIS, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest),
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Sung-chu (HAN Sung-joo)
consulate(s): New York, Tamuning (Guam)
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD
embassy: 82 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550
telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845

Flag description:
white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center;
there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of
Changes) in each corner of the white field

Economy Korea, South

Economy - overview:
As one of the Four Tigers of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an
incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech
modern world economy. Three decades ago GDP per capita was
comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia.
Today its GDP per capita is 18 times North Korea's and equal to the
lesser economies of the European Union. This success through the
late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business
ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of
specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government
promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense
of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over
consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed
longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model,
including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an
undisciplined financial sector. Growth plunged to a negative 6.6% in
1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000.
Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global
economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed
corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer
spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 6.2%, despite
anemic global growth, followed by moderate 2.8% growth in 2003. In
2003 the six-day work week was reduced to five days.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $941.5 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,600 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 41.6%
services: 54% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
4% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 24.8% (1998 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.6 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
22 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 69%, industry 21.5%, agriculture 9.5% (2001)

Unemployment rate:
3.1% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $118.1 billion
expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6
billion (2000)

Industries:
electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel,
textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
290.7 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 62.4%
hydro: 0.8%
other: 0.2% (2001)
nuclear: 36.6%

Electricity - consumption:
270.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
2.14 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
804,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
2.965 million bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
20.92 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
21.11 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products:
rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs,
chickens, milk, eggs; fish

Exports:
$162.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles,
steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish

Exports - partners:
US 20.4%, China 14.7%, Japan 9.4%, Hong Kong 6.3% (2002)

Imports:
$148.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel,
transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains

Imports - partners:
Japan 19.6%, US 15.2%, China 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2002)

Debt - external:
$135.2 billion (yearend 2002 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA $200 million

Currency:
South Korean won (KRW)

Currency code:
KRW

Exchange rates:
South Korean won per US dollar - 1,251.09 (2002), 1,290.99 (2001),
1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Korea, South

Telephones - main lines in use:
24 million (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
28 million (September 2000)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: NA
international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the
Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat
(Pacific Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001)

Radios:
47.5 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American
Forces Korea Network) (1999)

Televisions:
15.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.kr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)

Internet users:
25.6 million (2002)

Transportation Korea, South

Railways:
total: 3,125 km
standard gauge: 3,125 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2002)

Highways:
total: 86,990 km
paved: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,182 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,609 km
note: restricted to small native craft

Pipelines:
gas 1,433 km; refined products 827 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan,
Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu

Merchant marine:
total: 541 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,490,521 GRT/10,602,751 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, China 1, Greece 1, Japan 1,
Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1,
UK 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 114, cargo 174, chemical tanker 63, combination
bulk 9, container 52, liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, petroleum
tanker 69, refrigerated cargo 21, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea
passenger 2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 5

Airports:
102 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 69
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 21 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 33
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 31 (2002)

Heliports:
204 (2002)

Military Korea, South

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police
(Coast Guard)

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 14,252,851 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 8,994,941 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 345,331 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$13,094.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.8% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Korea, South

Disputes - international:
Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone
has separated North from South Korea since 1953; Liancourt Rocks
(Take-shima/Tok-do) are disputed with Japan

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Kuwait

Introduction Kuwait

Background:
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four
days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
damaged during 1990-91.

Geography Kuwait

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi
Arabia

Geographic coordinates:
29 30 N, 45 45 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 17,820 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 462 km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km

Coastline:
499 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Terrain:
flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0.34%
permanent crops: 0.06%
other: 99.6% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
60 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy
rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms
occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and
August

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and
most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the
water; air and water pollution; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine
Dumping

Geography - note:
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

People Kuwait

Population:
2,183,161
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.9% (male 310,008; female 298,474)
15-64 years: 69.5% (male 970,282; female 547,753)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 36,306; female 20,338) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.9 years
male: 28.4 years
female: 21.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
3.34%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of
expatriates (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
21.83 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
2.45 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
14.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 10.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.65 years
male: 75.72 years
female: 77.62 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.08 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.12% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti

Ethnic groups:
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%

Religions:
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and
other 15%

Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely spoken

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5%
male: 85.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)

Government Kuwait

Country name:
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local short form: Al Kuwayt
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt

Government type:
nominal constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Kuwait

Administrative divisions:
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al
Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli

Independence:
19 June 1961 (from UK)

National holiday:
National Day, 25 February (1950)

Constitution:
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962

Legal system:
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have
resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at
age 21
note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996,
naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but
have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the
first time

Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31
December 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah
(since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister NAWWAF al-Ahmad Al
Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad Al
Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Islamists 21,
government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note -
all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National
Assembly

Judicial branch:
High Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders:
none; formation of political parties is illegal

Political pressure groups and leaders:
several political groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins,
merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and
nationalists

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sheikh SALIM al-Abdallah Jabir Al Sabah
FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517
telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES
embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan
palace), Kuwait City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait Unit 69000,
APO AE 09880-9000
telephone: [965] 539-5307, ext. 2240
FAX: [965] 538-0282

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a
black trapezoid based on the hoist side

Economy Kuwait

Economy - overview:
Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude
oil reserves of about 98 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves.
Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues,
and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural
development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends
almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be
distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign
oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.
Oil production declined by an estimated 8% in 2002 but is expected
to return to the 2001 level in 2003.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $36.85 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 60%
industry: 39.7%
services: 0.3% (2000)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
1.3 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. (1998
est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA

Unemployment rate:
7% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $11 billion
expenditures: $17.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY 02/03)

Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing,
construction materials

Industrial production growth rate:
-5% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
31.49 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
29.29 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
2.117 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
273,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
97.68 billion bbl (37257)

Natural gas - production:
9.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
9.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.548 trillion cu m (37257)

Agriculture - products:
practically no crops; fish

Exports:
$16 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
oil and refined products, fertilizers

Exports - partners:
Japan 24.4%, South Korea 12.9%, US 11.9%, Singapore 10.1%, Taiwan
7%, Netherlands 4.5%, Pakistan 4.4% (2002)

Imports:
$7.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing

Imports - partners:
US 13.1%, Japan 11.1%, Germany 9.7%, Saudi Arabia 6.6%, UK 6%,
Italy 5.4%, France 5.2% (2002)

Debt - external:
$10.4 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA

Currency:
Kuwaiti dinar (KD)

Currency code:
KWD

Exchange rates:
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3 (2002), 0.31 (2001), 0.31
(2000), 0.3 (1999), 0.3 (1998)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Kuwait

Telephones - main lines in use:
412,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
210,000 (1997)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
supplied with pay telephones
international: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG)
cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
1.175 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)

Televisions:
875,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.kw

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)

Internet users:
200,000 (2002)

Transportation Kuwait

Railways:
0 km

Highways:
total: 4,450 km
paved: 3,587 km
unpaved: 863 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
none

Pipelines:
gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al
Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud

Merchant marine:
total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,273,628 GRT/3,638,645 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 6,
livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 19, roll on/roll off 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Monaco 1, Saudi Arabia 1 (2002 est.)

Airports:
6 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Heliports:
3 (2002)

Military Kuwait

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National
Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 845,026 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 508,399 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 18,885 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1,967.3 million (FY01)
note: Kuwait is changing its fiscal year; the above figure is for
July-March 2001; future budget years will be April-March annually

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.5% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Kuwait

Disputes - international:
the Kuwait 1994 land and Khawr 'Abd Allah channel boundary
demarcation ended Iraqi claims to Kuwait and Bubiyan and Warbah
islands; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are negotiating maritime boundary
with Iran

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Kyrgyzstan

Introduction Kyrgyzstan

Background:
A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud
nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864; it
achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Current
concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises,
expansion of democracy and political freedoms, interethnic
relations, and combating terrorism.

Geography Kyrgyzstan

Location:
Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 75 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 198,500 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km
land: 191,300 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 3,878 km
border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870
km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in
southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain:
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass
entire nation

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Natural resources:
abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth
metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other
deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Land use:
arable land: 7.04%
permanent crops: 0.39%
note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut
forest (1998 est.)
other: 92.57%

Irrigated land:
10,740 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
water pollution; many people get their water directly from
contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases
are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation
practices

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range;
many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes

People Kyrgyzstan

Population:
4,892,808 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.8% (male 836,593; female 819,615)
15-64 years: 59.9% (male 1,436,371; female 1,492,884)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 117,405; female 189,940) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 22.7 years
male: 21.8 years
female: 23.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
1.46% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
26.06 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 75.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 84.72 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.66 years
male: 59.49 years
female: 68.03 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.12 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
over 500 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kyrgyzstani(s)
adjective: Kyrgyzstani

Ethnic groups:
Kyrgyz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German
2.4%, other 11.8%

Religions:
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Languages:
Kyrgyz - official language, Russian - official language
note: in December 2001, the Kyrgyzstani legislature made Russian an
official language, equal in status to Kyrgyz

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 96% (1989 est.)

Government Kyrgyzstan

Country name:
conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
local short form: none
former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist 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 2 February 2003 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 a clash with police in
March of 2002
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%; seats 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: Assembly of People's Representatives - last held 20
February and 12 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 Party 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, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW
(signatory), OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCO, 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 Stephen M. YOUNG
embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, 720016 Bishkek
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [996] (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
FAX: [996] (312) 551-264

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, tobacco, wool, and meat
are the main agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton
are exported in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold,
mercury, uranium, and natural gas and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has
been fairly progressive in carrying out market reforms, such as an
improved regulatory system and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first
CIS country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization. With
fits and starts, inflation has been lowered to an estimated 7% in
2001, 2.1% in 2002, and 4.0% in 2003. Much of the government's stock
in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had been severe
after 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. The drop in output
at the Kumtor gold mine sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002 and
again in 2003. On the positive side, the government and the
international financial institutions have been engaged in a
comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth
strategy. Further restructuring of domestic industry and success in
attracting foreign investment are keys to future growth.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $13.88 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 35%
industry: 25%
services: 40% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
55% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 27.7% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.6 (1999)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2002 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:
13.45 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 7.6%
hydro: 92.4%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:
10.46 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
2.25 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Natural gas - production:
16 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
2.016 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries;
sheep, goats, cattle, wool

Exports:
$488 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas,
hydropower; machinery; shoes

Exports - partners:
Switzerland 19.9%, Russia 16.5%, UAE 14.2%, China 8.5%, Kazakhstan
7.6%, US 7.4%, Uzbekistan 5.7% (2002)

Imports:
$587 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Kazakhstan 21.1%, Russia 19.9%, Uzbekistan 10.2%, China 10.1%, US
8.1%, Germany 5.3% (2002)

Debt - external:
$1.5 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$50 million from the US (2001)

Currency:
Kyrgyzstani som (KGS)

Currency code:
KGS

Exchange rates:
soms per US dollar - 46.94 (2002), 48.38 (2001), 47.7 (2000), 39.01
(1999), 20.84 (1998)

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: 420 km
broad gauge: 420 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)

Highways:
total: 18,500 km
paved: 16,854 km (including 140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,646 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
600 km (1990)

Pipelines:
gas 367 km; oil 13 km (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Balykchy (Ysyk-Kol or Rybach'ye)

Airports:
68 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 50
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 36 (2002)

Military Kyrgyzstan

Military branches:
Army, Air and Air Defense, Security Forces, Border Troops

Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,265,019 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,026,063 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 54,445 (2003 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$19.2 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.4% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Kyrgyzstan

Disputes - international:
Kyrgyzstan's constitutional court has ruled that 1,270 sq km ceded
to China in a 2000 delimitation agreement were legally transferred;
delimitation with Kazakhstan is largely complete with only minor
disputed areas; disputes in Isfara Valley delay completion of
delimitation with Tajikistan; serious disputes with Uzbekistan
around Uzbek enclaves mar progress on delimitation efforts

Illicit drugs:
limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy for CIS
markets; limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit
point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of
Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

======================================================================

@Laos

Introduction Laos

Background:
In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government,
ending a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam
and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private
enterprise, a liberalization of foreign investment laws, and the
admission into ASEAN in 1997.

Geography Laos

Location:
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam

Geographic coordinates:
18 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 236,800 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Utah

Land boundaries:
total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km,
Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season
(December to April)

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones

Land use:
arable land: 3.47%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 96.3% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land:
1,640 sq km
note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation -
750 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
floods, droughts

Environment - current issues:
unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the
population does not have access to potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly
forested; the Mekong forms a large part of the western boundary with
Thailand

People Laos

Population:
5,921,545 (July 2003 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,255,172; female 1,242,823)
15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,592,697; female 1,639,431)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 87,192; female 104,230) (2003 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.5 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 18.9 years (2002)

Population growth rate:
2.45% (2003 est.)

Birth rate:
36.93 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate:
12.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 88.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 78.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 99.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.3 years
male: 52.34 years
female: 56.33 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,400 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 150 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian

Ethnic groups:
Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung
(highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic
Vietnamese/Chinese 1%

Religions:
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian
denominations 1.5%)

Languages:
Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.8%
male: 67.5%
female: 38.1% (2003 est.)

Government Laos

Country name:
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos
local short form: none
local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao

Government type:
Communist state

Capital:
Vientiane

Administrative divisions:
16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality*
(kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone**
(khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai,
Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphabang,
Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan*, Viangchan,
Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang

Independence:
19 July 1949 (from France)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 2 December (1975)

Constitution:
promulgated 14 August 1991