Political parties and leaders: Alash National Freedom Party [Aron ATABEK]; People’s Unity Party or PUP (was Union of People’s Unity) [Akhan BIZHANOV, chairman]; Democratic Party [Tulegen ZHUKEYEV and Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, cochairmen]; People’s Congress of Kazakhstan or NKK [Anuar ISMAILOV, chairman]; AZAMAT Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSIITOV, cochairmen]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first secretary]; National Democratic Party [Hasen KOZHAKHMETOV, chairman]; AZAT party [Toleubek KARAMENDIN, chairman]; Labor and Workers Movement [Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakhstan or KPU; Republican People’s Slavic Movement-Harmony or Lad [Aleksander SAMARKIN, chairman]; Party for Social Justice and Economic Revival “Tagibat”; Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan or SDPK [Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman]; People’s Cooperative Party [Umirzak SARSENOV, chairman]; Organization of Veterans; Republican Party [Sabetkazy AKATAYEV]; Russian Center or RT [Nina SIDOROVA, chairwoman]; Russian Cossacks [Vladimir DESYATOV, head (ataman)]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Liberal Movement [Asylbek BISENBAYEV, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Independent Trade Union Center [Leonid SOLOMIN, president]; Kazakhstani-American Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Democratic Committee on Human Rights [Baretta YERGALIEVA, chairwoman]; Independent Miners Union [Victor GAIPOV, president]; The Almaty-Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights [Ninel FOKINA, chairwoman]; Legal Development of Kazakhstan [Vitaliy VORONOV, chairman]
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bolat K. NURGALIYEV chancery: (temporary) 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-4504 through 4507 FAX: [1] (202) 333-4509
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador A. Elizabeth JONES embassy: 99/97 Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan 480012 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-05, 63-13-75, 63-24-26 FAX: [7] (3272) 63-38-83
Flag description: sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a “national ornamentation” in yellow
@Kazakhstan:Economy
Economy-overview: Kazakhstan, the second largest of the former Soviet republics in territory, possesses enormous untapped fossil fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production. Kazakhstan’s industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a relatively large machine building sector specializing in construction equipment, tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The breakup of the USSR and the collapse of demand for Kazakhstan’s traditional heavy industry products have resulted in a sharp contraction of the economy since 1991, with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97 the pace of the government program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. The December 1996 signing of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium agreement to build a new pipeline from western Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oil field to the Black Sea increases prospects for substantially larger oil exports in several years. The emigration of large numbers of skilled Slavic managers and technicians from the northern industrial areas will hold back future growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$50 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.1% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$3,000 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 25%
services: 63% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 12% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 6.9 million
by occupation: industry 27%, agriculture and forestry 23%, other 50% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 2.6% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large additional numbers of unemployed and underemployed workers (December 1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3 billion
expenditures: $4.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $40 million (1996 est.)
Industries: oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel, nonferrous metal, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials; much of industrial capacity is shut down and/or is in need of repair
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 18.9 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 61.7 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 3,800 kWh (1996 est.)
Agriculture-products: grain, mostly spring wheat, cotton; wool, meat
Exports:
total value: $5.6 billion (1996)
commodities: oil, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, grain, wool, meat, coal
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, China
Imports:
total value: $6 billion (1996)
commodities: machinery and parts, industrial materials, oil and gas partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Germany
Debt-external: $3.3 billion (1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $10 million (1993)
note: commitments, 1992-95, $4,780 million ($1,795 million disbursements)
Currency: 1 Kazakhstani tenge = 100 tiyn
Exchange rates: tenges per US$1-76.4 (February 1998), 75.55 (January 1998), 75.44 (1997), 67.30 (1996), 60.95 (1995), 35.54 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 2.2 million
Telephone system: service is poor
domestic: landline and microwave radio relay international: international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and through 8 international telecommunications circuits at the Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth stations-1 Intelsat and a new satellite earth station established at Almaty of unknown type
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: 4.088 million (with multiple speakers for program diffusion 6.082 million)
Television broadcast stations: 1 broadcast station; Orbita (TV receive only) earth station
Televisions: 4.75 million
@Kazakhstan:Transportation
Railways:
total: 13,841 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 13,841 km 1.520-m gauge (3,299 km electrified) (1992)
Highways:
total: 141,076 km
paved: 113,566 km
unpaved: 27,510 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 4,002 km on the Syr Darya and Ertis Darya
Pipelines: crude oil 2,850 km; refined products 1,500 km; natural gas 3,480 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur’yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
Airports: 10 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
@Kazakhstan:Military
Military branches: Ministry of Defense (Border Guards, General Purpose Forces, Air Force), Republican Guard
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 4,429,484 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 3,534,839 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 154,218 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 18.9 billion tenges (1995); note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Kazakhstan:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan
Illicit drugs: significant illicit cultivation of cannabis and limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrone); limited government eradication program; cannabis consumed largely in the CIS; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia, North America, and Western Europe from Southwest Asia
______________________________________________________________________
KENYA
@Kenya:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 582,650 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries:
total: 3,446 km
border countries: Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline: 536 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 37%
forests and woodland: 30%
other: 25% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring drought in northern and eastern regions
Environment-current issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value
@Kenya:People
Population: 28,337,071 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 6,248,260; female 6,109,443) 15-64 years: 54% (male 7,609,631; female 7,607,810) 65 years and over: 2% (male 333,881; female 428,046) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.71% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 31.68 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 14.19 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 59.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 47.57 years
male: 47.02 years
female: 48.13 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.07 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan
Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%
Religions: Protestant (including Anglican) 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim 6%, other 2%
Languages: English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.1%
male: 86.3%
female: 70% (1995 est.)
@Kenya:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya conventional short form: Kenya
former: British East Africa
Data code: KE
Government type: republic
National capital: Nairobi
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1997
Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note – the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note – the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote from among the members of the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the president
election results: President Daniel T. arap MOI reelected; percent of vote-Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.12%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.09%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 10.2%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-Kenya) 8.29%, Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.71%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats, 12 appointed by the president, 210 members popularly elected to serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held between 1 December 2002 and 30 April 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-KANU 107, FORD-Asili 1, FORD-Kenya 17, FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15, SAFINA 5, smaller parties 2; seats appointed by the president-KANU 6, FORD-Kenya 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, chief justice is appointed by the president; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party: Kenya African National Union or KANU [President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI]
opposition party: Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai KIBAKI]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-Asili [Martin SHIKUKU, chairman]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-Kenya [Michael Kijana WAMALWA]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People [Kimani wa NYOIKE]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Saba Saba or Asili Saba Saba [Kenneth MATIBA, chairman]; National Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA, president and Dr. Charles MARANGA, secretary-general]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Charity NGILU]; SAFINA [Mutari KIGANO, chairman and Dr. Richard LEAKEY, secretary-general]
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political parties and non-government organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA, leader]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations
International organization participation: ACP, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOP, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samson K. CHEMAI chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Prudence B. BUSHNELL (17 July 1996) embassy: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (2) 334141
FAX: [254] (2) 340838
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior’s shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center
@Kenya:Economy
Economy-overview: Since 1993, the government of Kenya has implemented a program of economic liberalization and reform. Steps have included the removal of import licensing and price controls, removal of foreign exchange controls, fiscal and monetary restraint, and reduction of the public sector through privatizing publicly owned companies and downsizing the civil service. With the support of the World Bank, IMF, and other donors, these reforms have led to a turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative growth in the early 1990s. Kenya’s real GDP grew at 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996, and inflation remained under control. Growth slowed in 1997. Political violence damaged the tourist industry, and the IMF allowed Kenya’s Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program to lapse due to the government’s failure to enact reform conditions and to adequately address public sector corruption. Moreover, El Nino rains destroyed crops and damaged an already crumbling infrastructure in 1997 and on into 1998. Long-term barriers to development include electricity shortages, the government’s continued and inefficient dominance of key sectors, endemic corruption, and the country’s high population growth rate.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$45.3 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.9% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,600 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 27%
industry: 20%
services: 53% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 8.8% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 8.78 million (1993 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 75%-80%, non-agriculture 20%-25%
Unemployment rate: 35% urban (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3 billion
expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $638 million (FY96/97 est.)
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), processing agricultural products; oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (1995)
Electricity-capacity: 808,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 3.59 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 134 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Exports:
total value: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: tea 18%, coffee 15%, petroleum products (1995) partners: Uganda 22.8%, UK 20.1%, Tanzania 19.1%, Germany 14.0%, Netherlands 7.6%, US 6.1%
Imports:
total value: $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 31%, consumer goods 13%, petroleum products 12% (1995) partners: UK 21.3%, UAE 18%, Japan 14%, Germany, US
Debt-external: $7 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid: NA
Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1-61.164 (January 1998), 58.732 (1997), 57.115 (1996), 51.430 (1995), 56.051 (1994), 58.001 (1993)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
Communications
Telephones: 357,251 (1989 est.)
Telephone system: in top group of African systems domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 6
Televisions: 260,000 (1993 est.)
@Kenya:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,652 km
narrow gauge: 2,652 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways:
total: 63,800 km
paved: 8,868 km
unpaved: 54,932 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya
Pipelines: petroleum products 483 km
Ports and harbors: Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,883 GRT/6,255 DWT ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 240 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 29
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 211
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 114
under 914 m: 83 (1997 est.)
@Kenya:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 6,870,889 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 4,257,985 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $134 million (FY94/95)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 3.9% (FY94/95)
@Kenya:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary
Illicit drugs: widespread harvesting of small, wild plots of marijuana and qat (chat); transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and, sometimes, North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa
______________________________________________________________________
KINGMAN REEF
(territory of the US)
@Kingman Reef:Geography
Location: Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to American Samoa
Geographic coordinates: 6 24 N, 162 24 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 1 sq km
land: 1 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds
Terrain: low and nearly level
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 1 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1996)
Natural hazards: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of about 1 meter makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
Environment-current issues: none
Environment-international agreements: party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public
@Kingman Reef:People
Population: uninhabited
@Kingman Reef:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Kingman Reef
Data code: KQ
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington, DC by the US Navy; however, it is awash the majority of the time, so it is not usable and is uninhabited
National capital: none; administered from Washington, DC
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
@Kingman Reef:Economy
Economy-overview: no economic activity
@Kingman Reef:Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938
@Kingman Reef:Military
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of the US
@Kingman Reef:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
KIRIBATI
@Kiribati:Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia; note-on 1 January 1995, Kiribati unilaterally moved the International Date Line from the middle of the country to include its easternmost islands and make it the same day throughout the country
Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 717 sq km
land: 717 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes three island groups-Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
Area-comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,143 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m
Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops: 51%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 46% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes
Environment-current issues: heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to heavy migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: 20 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean-the others are Makatea in French Polynesia and Nauru
@Kiribati:People
Population: 83,976 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA
Population growth rate: 1.82% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 26.46 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 7.62 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 49.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.61 years
male: 60.79 years
female: 64.68 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.13 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural) adjective: I-Kiribati
Ethnic groups: Micronesian
Religions: Roman Catholic 53%, Protestant (Congregational) 41%, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baha’i, Church of God, Mormon 6% (1985 est.)
Languages: English (official), Gilbertese
Literacy: NA
@Kiribati:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati conventional short form: Kiribati
note: pronounced kir-ih-bahss
former: Gilbert Islands
Data code: KR
Government type: republic
National capital: Tarawa
Administrative divisions: 3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands
note: in addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island councils-one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)
Independence: 12 July 1979 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Constitution: 12 July 1979
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President (Beretitenti) Teburoro TITO (since 1 October 1994); Vice President (Kauoman-ni-Beretitenti) Tewareka TENTOA (since 12 October 1994); note-the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the House of Assembly, includes the president, vice president, attorney general, and up to eight other ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; note-the House of Assembly chooses the presidential candidates from among their members and then those candidates compete in a general election; election last held 30 September 1994 (next to be held by NA September 1998); vice president appointed by the president election results: Teburoro TITO elected president; percent of vote-Teburoro TITO 51.2%, Tewareka TENTOA 18.3%, Roniti TEIWAKI 16.0%, Peter Taberannang TIMEON 14.5%
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (41 seats; 39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member, and one nominated to represent Banaba; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 22 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-Maneaban Te Mauri Party 13, National Progressive Party 7, independents 19
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, judges at all levels are appointed by the president; High Court, judges at all levels are appointed by the president; 26 Magistrates’ courts judges at all levels are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Party, Teatao TEANNAKI; New Movement Party, leader NA; Liberal Party, Tewareka TENTOA; Maneaban Te Mauri Party, Teburoro TITO note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures
International organization participation: ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary consulate in Honolulu
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati
Flag description: the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
@Kiribati:Economy
Economy-overview: A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few national resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Real GDP growth has declined from about 10% in 1988 to about 2.6% in 1995 and 1.9% in 1996. Growth in 1997 was expected to parallel the 1996 performance. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. The financial sector is at an early stage of development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives. Foreign financial aid, largely from the UK and Japan, is a critical supplement to GDP, equal in amount to 25%-50% of GDP in recent years. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than $5 million each year.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$62 million (1996 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 1.9% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$800 (1996 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 14%
industry: 7%
services: 79% (1996 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: -0.6% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $33.3 million
expenditures: $47.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1996 est.)
Industries: fishing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (1992 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 2,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 7 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 88 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish
Exports:
total value: $6.7 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: copra 62%, seaweed, fish
partners: US, Australia, NZ (1996)
Imports:
total value: $37.4 million (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel
partners: Australia 46%, Fiji, Japan, NZ, US (1996)
Debt-external: $7.2 million (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $4.725 million from Australia (FY96/97 est.); $2.175 million from NZ (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1-1.5281 (January 1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996), 1.3486 (1995), 1.3667 (1994), 1.4704 (1993)
Fiscal year: NA
Communications
Telephones: 1,400 (1984 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 15,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 0 (1988 est.)
@Kiribati:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 670 km (1996 est.)
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Waterways: small network of canals, totaling 5 km, in Line Islands
Ports and harbors: Banaba, Betio, English Harbor, Kanton
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,248 GRT/4,496 DWT ships by type: oil tanker 1, passenger-cargo 1 (1997 est.)
Airports: 21 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 5 (1997 est.)
@Kiribati:Military
Military branches: no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts are on all islands)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
@Kiribati:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: none
______________________________________________________________________
KOREA, NORTH
@Korea, North:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 127 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 120,540 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km
water: 130 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries:
total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
Coastline: 2,495 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
military boundary line: 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned
Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
Natural resources: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 14%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 61%
other: 23% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 14,600 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall
Environment-current issues: localized air pollution attributable to inadequate industrial controls; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment-international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography-note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated
@Korea, North:People
Population: 21,234,387 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 2,800,857; female 2,669,250) 15-64 years: 68% (male 7,089,039; female 7,406,901) 65 years and over: 6% (male 387,011; female 881,329) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.03% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 15.3 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 15.57 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.44 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 87.83 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.32 years
male: 48.88 years
female: 53.88 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
Religions: Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo
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% (1990 est.)
@Korea, North:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conventional short form: North Korea
local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk local short form: none
note: the North Koreans generally use the term “Choson” to refer to their country
abbreviation: DPRK
Data code: KN
Government type: Communist state; one-man dictatorship
National capital: P’yongyang
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 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), Namp’o-si* (Namp’o City), P’yongan-bukto (North P’yongan Province), P’yongan-namdo (South P’yongan Province), P’yongyang-si* (P’yongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province)
Independence: 9 September 1948 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foundation Day
note: 15 August 1945, date of independence from the Japanese and celebrated in North Korea as National Liberation Day
National holiday: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)
Constitution: adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992
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 [de facto]; note-President KIM Il-song was reelected without opposition 24 May 1990 and died 8 July 1994, leaving his son KIM Chong-il as designated successor; KIM Chong-il became General Secretary of the Korean Workers’ Party on 8 October 1997, but has not assumed the presidency head of government: KANG Song-san is premier, but is in ill health; Vice Premier HONG Song-nam has been acting premier since NA February 1997
cabinet: State Administration Council appointed by the Supreme People’s Assembly
elections: premier elected by the Supreme People’s Assembly election results: NA
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 7-9 April 1990 (next to be held NA); note-the term of the Assembly expired in April 1995 without a new election and it has not been convened since the death of KIM Il-song in July 1994 election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats
Judicial branch: Central Court, judges are elected by the Supreme People’s Assembly
Political parties and leaders: major party-Korean Workers’ Party (KWP), KIM Chong-il, General Secretary; Korean Social Democratic Party, KIM Pyong-sik, chairman; Chondoist Chongu Party, YU Mi-yong, chairwoman
International organization participation: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), 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, headed by YI Hyong-chol
Diplomatic representation from the US: none
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
@Korea, North:Economy
Economy-overview: More than 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually tight even for a communist country because of the small size and homogeneity of the society and the strict rule of KIM Il-song in the past and now his son, KIM Chong-il. Economic growth during the period 1984-88 averaged 2%-3%, but output declined by an average of 4%-5% or more annually during 1989-97 because of systemic problems and disruptions in economic and technological links with the former USSR and China. The leadership has insisted on maintaining its high level of military outlays from a shrinking economic pie. Moreover, a serious drawdown in inventories and critical shortages in the energy sector have led to increasing interruptions in industrial production. Abundant mineral resources and hydropower have formed the basis of industrial development since World War II. Manufacturing is centered on heavy industry, including military industry, with light industry lagging far behind. Despite the use of improved seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers, North Korea is not yet self-sufficient in food production. Indeed, a shortage of arable lands, several years of poor harvests, systemic inefficiencies, a cumbersome distribution system, and extensive floods in 1995-96 followed by a severe drought in 1997 have resulted in increasingly serious food shortages. Substantial grain shipments from Japan and South Korea are offsetting a portion of the losses. North Korea remains far behind South Korea in economic development and living standards.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$21.8 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: -3.7% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$900 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 25%
industry: 60%
services: 15% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: NA%
Labor force:
total: 9.615 million
by occupation: agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $19.3 billion
expenditures: $19.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Industries: military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing
Industrial production growth rate: -7% to -9% (1992 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 9.5 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 35.2 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 1,499 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs
Exports:
total value: $912 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and fishery products, manufactures (including armaments) partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia
Imports:
total value: $1.95 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment, consumer goods
partners: China, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Russia, Singapore
Debt-external: $12 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: an estimated $200 million to $300 million in aid from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 1997
Currency: 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1-2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 30,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: system is believed to be available principally for government business
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing
Radio broadcast stations: AM 18, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 3.5 million
Television broadcast stations: 11
Televisions: 400,000 (1992 est.)
@Korea, North:Transportation
Railways:
total: 5,000 km
standard gauge: 4,095 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified; 159 km double track)
narrow gauge: 665 km 0.762-m gauge
dual gauge: 240 km (standard and broad gauge) (1996 est.)
Highways:
total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
Pipelines: crude oil 37 km
Ports and harbors: Ch’ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch’aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp’o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
Merchant marine:
total: 105 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 663,527 GRT/930,587 DWT ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 87, combination bulk 1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 3, passenger 3, passenger-cargo 1, short-sea passenger 2
note: North Korea owns an additional 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,143 DWT operating under the registry of Honduras (1997 est.)
Airports: 49 (1994 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 22
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 15
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1994 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 27
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)
@Korea, North:Military
Military branches: Korean People’s Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security Forces
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 5,704,690 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 3,449,880 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 175,181 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $5 billion to $7 billion (1995 est.)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 25% (1995 est.)
@Korea, North:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: 33-km section of boundary with China in the Paektu-san (mountain) area is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea
______________________________________________________________________
KOREA, SOUTH
@Korea, South:Geography
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
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
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
Land use:
arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 65%
other: 13% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 13,350 sq km (1993 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; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Environment-international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Desertification
@Korea, South:People
Population: 46,416,796 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 5,505,564; female 4,894,780) 15-64 years: 71% (male 16,772,319; female 16,272,145) 65 years and over: 7% (male 1,126,963; female 1,845,025) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.01% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 16.08 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.67 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.95 years
male: 70.37 years
female: 78 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions: Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), 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%
male: 99.3%
female: 96.7% (1995 est.)
@Korea, South:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Korea conventional short form: South Korea
local long form: Taehan-min’guk
local short form: none
note: the South Koreans generally use the term “Hanguk” to refer to their country
abbreviation: ROK
Data code: KS
Government type: republic
National capital: Seoul
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special 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*
Independence: 15 August 1945; note-date of liberation from Japanese colonial rule
National holiday: Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Constitution: 25 February 1988
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 Kim Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998) head of government: Acting Prime Minister KIM Chong-p’il (since 3 March 1998)
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 18 December 1997 (next to be held 18 December 2002); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister’s recommendation
election results: Kim Dae-jung elected president; percent of vote-Kim Dae-jung (NCNP) 40.3%, YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NKP 139, NCNP 79, ULD 50, DP 15, independents 16; note-the distribution of seats as of February 1998 was GNP 165, NCNP 78, ULD 43, NPP 8, independents 4, vacant 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Grand National Party (GNP), CHO Sun, president; National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), Kim Dae-jung, president; United Liberal Democrats (ULD), PAK Tae-chun, president; New People’s Party (NPP), YI In-che, president note: subsequent to the legislative election of April 1996 the following parties disbanded-New Korea Party (NKP) and Democratic Party (DP)
Political pressure groups and leaders: Korean National Council of Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Student Associations; National Federation of Farmers’ Associations; National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans’ Association; Federation of Korean Industries; Korean Traders Association; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, BIS (pending member), CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador YI Hong-ku chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen W. BOSWORTH embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
consulate(s): Pusan
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
@Korea, South:Economy
Economy-overview: As one of the Four Dragons of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth. Three decades ago its GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is eight times India’s, 15 times North Korea’s, and already up with 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 1997/98 exposed certain longstanding weaknesses in South Korea’s development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. Also, a number of private sector conglomerates are near bankruptcy. At yearend 1997, an international effort, spearheaded by the IMF, was underway to shore up reserves and stabilize the economy. Growth in 1998 will be sharply cut. Long-term growth will depend on how successfully South Korea implements planned economic reforms that would bolster the financial sector, improve corporate management, and open the economy further to foreign participation.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$631.2 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$13,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 45%
services: 47% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 5% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 20 million
by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $101 billion
expenditures: $101 billion, including capital expenditures of $20 billion (1996 est.)
Industries: electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Industrial production growth rate: 8.2% (1996)
Electricity-capacity: 31.665 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 174.52 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 3,831 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh largest in world
Exports:
total value: $129.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish partners: US 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12% (1995)
Imports:
total value: $150.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains partners: US 22%, Japan 21%, EU 13% (1995)
Debt-external: $154 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)
Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1-1,706.80 (January 1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45 (1996), 771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994), 802.67 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 16.6 million (1993)
Telephone system: excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA
international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0
Radios: 42 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 256 (57 of which are 1 kW or greater) (1987 est.)
Televisions: 9.3 million (1992 est.)
@Korea, South:Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,081 km
standard gauge: 3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified) (1996 est.)
Highways:
total: 83,400 km
paved: 63,467 km (including 1,920 km of expressways) unpaved: 19,933 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Pipelines: petroleum products 455 km; note-additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed
Ports and harbors: Chinhae, Inch’on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp’o, P’ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu
Merchant marine:
total: 474 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,749,052 GRT/10,447,597 DWT
ships by type: bulk 118, cargo 131, chemical tanker 28, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil 1, container 70, liquefied gas tanker 12, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 72, refrigerated cargo 22, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 2, vehicle carrier 13
note: South Korea owns an additional 273 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,985,267 DWT operating under the registries of Cambodia, Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, Panama, and Singapore (1997 est.)
Airports: 103 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 67
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 19 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 36
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 32 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 202 (1997 est.)
@Korea, South:Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 13,849,615 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 8,837,541 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually: males: 399,034 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $17.4 billion (1996)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 3.3% (1996)
@Korea, South:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) claimed by Japan
______________________________________________________________________
KUWAIT
@Kuwait:Geography
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
land: 17,820 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 464 km
border countries: Iraq 242 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%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 92% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April, they bring inordinate amounts of 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
@Kuwait:People
Population: 1,913,285 (July 1998 est.) note: includes 1,168,185 non-nationals (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 338,933; female 279,087) 15-64 years: 66% (male 811,713; female 444,679) 65 years and over: 2% (male 23,642; female 15,231) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 4.1% (1998 est.) note: this rate reflects the continued post-Gulf crisis return of expatriates
Birth rate: 20.97 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 2.29 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 22.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.21 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.55 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 10.74 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.78 years
male: 74.76 years
female: 78.91 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.44 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions: Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shi’a 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15%
Languages: Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.6%
male: 82.2%
female: 74.9% (1995 est.)
@Kuwait:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Kuwait conventional short form: Kuwait
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
local short form: Al Kuwayt
Data code: KU
Government type: nominal constitutional monarchy
National capital: Kuwait